


New Endeavours: The Side Stories

by ChristaWolf, LonghaulHoofer



Series: New Endeavours [4]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Star Trek
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 101,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9461459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonghaulHoofer/pseuds/LonghaulHoofer
Summary: A collection of stories that show life aboard the Endeavour between main adventures.





	1. First Contact

Orion and Raven lived a relatively quiet life in Equestria.  Settling in Ponyville, raising children .. by all accounts perfectly normal.  Over the course of a few months, Raven began acting erratically, oftentimes forgetting simple things ... like her husband's name, or how many children they had.  She had also started going out for a "nightly stroll," always insisting that she go alone. Luna's moon shone brightly over the town, and Raven once again was making preparations to go for another stroll.  "I won't be long, dearest," she calls out.

Orion had grown to be very concerned about his wife in the last few months, and tonight he resolved to follow her, to see where she went every night. "I'll see you in a couple hours!" he calls out, waving to her as he always did.

"Okay, I love you, Oscar--err, Orion!" she replies, opening the door and stepping into the crisp night air.  She walked through town toward Sweet Apple Acres, enroute to the stargazing hill, glancing around every so often and nodding greetings to the ponies that were still active at this time of night.

"Oscar? That's a new one..." he comments, grabbing a green trench coat and adjusting his bow tie, before heading out into the autumn evening. He follows Raven's hoof prints, having waited to make sure he was well out of sight this time.

Also keeping out of sight, a tall figure shadowed Raven as she made her way out of town.  This figure was definitely not of this world.  Tapping a metallic object on his chest, a chirping sound could be heard.  "Data to Riker.  Subject in sight, heading in your direction,"  the figure said quietly.

"Acknowledged.  I am in intercept position.  Out." came the reply voice.

Turning to continue his surveillance, Data suddenly found his path blocked and was knocked to the ground.  As he looked at what he stumbled over, he made note of the small equine creature before him ... and the clothing it wore.  He said not a word, but continued to watch in the event the equine cried out in alarm.

Orion accidentally bumps into Data, thanks to not entirely looking out for where he was going... he looks up, smiling apologetically, "Oops! Sorry about that, I-" He stops in mid-sentence, taking in Data's appearance with a wide-eyed expression, "...What?"

Data is momentarily taken aback by the apology uttered by the creature.  "Hello there.  I ask that you not be alarmed.  I am no threat to you.  I am Commander Data of the USS Enterprise, representing the United Federation of Planets.  May I ask your name ... sir?"

"Orion Shadow," he says vaguely, concentrating more on what Data was saying... it didn't make any sense to him. "United Federation of what? Can't say I've ever heard of you... what are you doing here, anyway? And actually, what -are- you? Not a minotaur, that's for sure..." he stops, "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"It is quite all right, Mister Shadow.  Meeting an entirely different species can be unnerving.  I am an android, crafted in the appearance of a human male."  He again studies Orion.  "You have the basic appearance of equines from a world I call home.  Is it safe to say that you are the dominant species populating this planet?"

Orion shrugs a bit, "I wouldn't say dominant... there are other creatures here too, like griffons and changelings, but I'd say we're one of the biggest... this country is called Equestria. I am a unicorn, one of the four types of ponies.  There are also pegasi, who have wings and control the weather, earth ponies, who have neither a horn nor wings and traditionally grow crops, and alicorns, who are a mix of all 3. There are 4 alicorns currently in existence: Princess Celestia and her sister Luna, who rule our country and control the rising and setting of the sun and moon respectively, Princess Cadance who controls the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Ponies, a sub-group of the earth ponies, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, the youngest and most recently ascended of the lot... quite a nice mare, actually, if a bit neurotic."

"This is quite fascinating," said Data, with what passed for a smile on his face.  "Tell me, have there been any other recorded instances of contact between your world and others?"

"Riker to Data.  I have the subject and am back on the ship.  We're ready to transport you."

Tapping the metallic badge on his tunic, Data replied, "Understood, Commander.  Unfortunately, I do have a situation regarding first contact that needs to be resolved.  Specifically, I have been spotted by one of the indigenous inhabitants.  I request further instructions."

After a pause, Riker's voice announced, "Prepare your guest for transport.  The captain will meet with them upon their arrival.  Please signal when ready.  Riker out."

Orion blinks, pulse quickening, "Transport? Subject? What subject? I was only looking for my wife! She's been having these strange memory lapses and is forever going out on nighttime strolls... I think she needs a doctor."

"If you are referring to the ... pony we both were following, I believe the captain can explain that as well.  And transporting is a very simple task.  All that is required is for you to stand next to me," Data said, getting up.  "I promise you that you will not be harmed in any way.  We will be transported to the Enterprise, which is a starship currently in orbit around your planet.  Once again, I assure you that our intentions are peaceful and we will cause no harm to you.  Will you accompany me?"

Orion nods, "You seem like a peaceful fellow... onwards and upwards then!" He stands beside Data, waiting for something to happen.

"Very well.  Please remain still." Data tapped the badge again.  "Energize."  The world around Orion shimmered, with bright flashes of color and sparkles and an odd feeling of being disassembled and reassembled again in a room that looked dark and like nothing Orion had ever seen before.  He was standing on a platform lit from below, with six lights above.  Ahead was some type of console, with three of these "humans" standing behind it.  One wore a green tunic like Data's and he was busy adjusting something on the console.  The other two wore red tunics, one a younger male with well-trimmed hair on his face.  The other was a balding male, with graying hair.  This was the one that stepped forward.  "ON behalf of the United Federatrion of Planets, we bid you welcome aboard the United Star Ship Enterprise.  I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and this" he said, indicating the other red-tuniced person, "is Commander Riker."  He had a pleasing accent, almost like a native of Trottingham.

Orion smiles a little at the familiar accent, bowing his head politely to them both, "A pleasure, Captain Picard and Commander Riker... I am the Right Honorable Sir Orion Shadow Baronet, but everypony calls me Orion." He extends a hoof. "I've never been in a place like this... or encountered any creatures quite like you... it seems this will be a first not only for me, but for all pony kind." He chuckles a little, "Wait until I tell Luna..."

Picard smiles and nods.  "A pleasure, Sir Shadow.  I expect you would like an explanation as to what's been going on, and I would be happy to provide you with one.  If you will accompany me, I will take you to my ready room on the bridge."  He looks over at Data.  "Mister Data, would you go with Commander Riker and check on our other guest?"

"Yes, sir," Data replies, following Riker out of the transporter room.  Picard follows, standing at the doors.  "This way, sir," he says to Orion, gesturing with an arm toward the corridor.

"I keep hearing something about a guest," Orion remarks casually as he follows Picard down the corridor, the floor felt very odd beneath his hooves. "But I can wait a little longer." He smiles up at the captain, "Do you have earl grey? Hot?"

Picard was taken aback momentarily by Orion's request.  "Indeed," he said, "I  can provide that for you if you wish."  Arriving at the turbolift, the doors swooshed open and Picard stepped in, motioning for Orion to do likewise.  After Orion stepped in and the doors closed, Picard grabbed what appeard to be a strange handle and turned it slightly.  "Bridge," he announced, and the turbolift began its ascent.  "It seems there are some analogues between our worlds.  I'm looking forward to conversing with you about them once our main business is concluded."

Orion grins back, "As am I, Captain... I'm just glad to finally meet someone who understands the importance of a good cup of tea, first of all!" He adjusts his glasses, "Main business?"

"Yes ... it concerns our being here in the first place, and unfortunately, it involves you as well."  The turbolift stopped and the doors slid open.  Picard stepped out, gesturing for Orion.  "Welcome to the bridge."

Banks of glass-covered panels covered the walls, each illuminated with different sets of controls and displays.  More of these "humans" sat on chairs at the foot of the platform, each one in front of a console similar to the one in the transporter room.  Seated behind them was a female, dressed in a different style of uniform than the rest but still wearing the same metallic badge.  

The most striking feature was the viewer, displaying an image of Orion's planet that nopony had ever seen before, and probably would never see.  Land masses stood out against the deep blues of the oceans, clouds in place where the weather pegasi had set up preplanned precipitation events.

The female rose as Picard and Orion entered.  "Ah, Captain," she said with a  slight accent that Orion could not place.  "Is this our first contact?" she inquired, smiling warmly at Orion.

"Counselor Deanna Troi, this is Sir Orion Shadow Baronet of Equestria."

Orion notes there is, as ever, rain in the general vicinity of Trottingham when he sees the all-around view of his home, and smiles to Counselor Troi. "A pleasure to meet you too, m'lady. Call me Orion please, everypony else does."

"It is my pleasure, Orion."  She smiles, and gives a barely perceptible nod to Picard.  Picard nods in return.  "Orion, this way please."  He leads Orion into his ready room and goes to a panel on the wall.  "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. Two."  After a series of beeps, two steaming cups of tea appear  in an alcove beow the panel.  Picard carries the cups to the desk, setting one down in front of a seat and motioning for Orion to sit.  He goes behind the desk and sits.  "Now then, Orion ... may I inquire how you managed to run into Mister Data this evening?" he asked, sipping his tea.

Orion sips his own, marveling at how quickly it came, and how he didn't need to prepare it at all... it tasted very nice, actually. At Picard's question, he nods. "I'd gone out to see what my wife, Raven, was getting up to... she's been having strange memory lapses lately, and is always going out on walks during the evening... I've never discovered why, until tonight when I decided to try." He frowns concernedly, "We've been married for years, we even have two foals... I'm worried about her... if your ship has a doctor, I'd like her to see them, because I'm afraid she'll need it."

Picard nods, and sets his cup down.  "I can understand your concern about your wife's health, but I can tell you that what you were following wasn't your wife at all."  he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.  "Orion ... your wife was replaced by what is known as an allasomorph.  Essentially, allasomorphs are shapeshifters that can assume the form of other species, but in their true form appear as beings of pure energy."  He leans forward.  "The pony we apprehended is an allasomorph that is wanted for a crime on their homeworld.  We suspect that it made its way to your world and somehow took the place of your wife to avoid capture.  We received a tip from a freighter it took passage on, and how it acquired another passenger after it left ... that of a pony.  She is safe and unharmed, just extremely confused about what's happening."

Orion is, for once, silent for several minutes as he contemplates this... by the time he does speak, his tea cup is empty. "I want to see her... this allasomorph... get her side of the story. Do you have any objections?" He fixes Picard with a surprisingly serious expression, born out of concern not only for Raven's whereabouts, but for the one who had replaced her as well.

"It will have to wait until our questioning is concluded.  Otherwise, I have no objections.  You will, however, be under observation the entire time, more for policy and safety concerns than anything else.  I can ask Counselor Troi to accompany you if you would prefer."  He smiles.  "We are not an unreasonable people, Orion.  In fact, we would like to learn more about you and your culture, if you would be willing to talk about it to us."

Orion smiles back, ears perking back up. "I would love to, Captain! And I'd like to learn a bit more about you too, actually. What is it you -do-, exactly? Explore?"

"Our primary mission is exploration, seeking out and learning about new lifeforms and civilizations.  Naturally, making contact with a new species is a delicate affair, which is why we were attempting to be as discrete in our activities as possible."

Orion ahhs, "I expect you'll want to meet the ruling Princesses then... lucky for all of us, Princess Luna and I are very close."

Picard sips his tea.  "Ah, a monarchial society, I presume?  And, from what Commander Riker had mentioned upon his return, fairly agrarian, is that correct?"

Orion smiled. "Diarchical, actually. And yes, very much so! We've also harnessed the ability to control weather, and control of the sun and moon. Life in Equestria is, for the most part, idyllic."

“Quite interesting!  And what of diversity between species?  Are there many conflicts between different groups?" Picard asked, intrigued.  "And, would you like some more tea?"

"I would!" he answers with a smile, before continuing. "Besides ponies, there are changelings, a shapeshifting race that gain energy from love and are led by a queen, and griffons, who are led by a king." He hums thoughtfully, "We ponies have had little quarrel with the griffons, but fairly recently the changeling queen led her entire swarm to our capitol and attacked, intending to invade, at least until they were repelled.

"Yours is quite the wonderful world, Orion," Picard says, setting down a fresh cup of tea.  "I am actually quite pleased that we had the chance to meet."  He smiles, sitting down and sipping his tea.

Orion returns the smile, “As am I, sir, as am I.”

* * *

"Captain's Log: Stardate 45897.7. The Enterprise has captured a fugitive from the allasomorph's homeworld, discovered living on a planet in a previously unknown sector of the Zacherle cluster.  This has placed us in first contact with a race of sentient equines, who refer to themselves as 'ponies,' and exist with a form of telekinesis they refer to as 'magic.'  Our primary source of contact, one Orion Shadow, has been very forthcoming about explaining his world to us, and wishes to speak to the allasomorph, named Astra, who seems to have take the form of Mister Shadow's wife to elude capture.   We are on the way to the brig to allow Mister Bornwmane to determine the whereabouts, and safety, of his wife."

Picard, Data, and Orion enter the holding area known as the brig.  A glowing force field covers the entrance to one of the cells, behind which sits Astra, the allasomorph, who still remains in the form of Raven.  She looks to Orion with a sad expression.

"We are allowing you to speak to her, but we caution you to not attempt any harm upon her, no matter what she says or does," Picard says in a soft, but warning, voice.

"You needn't worry Captain, I'm hardly the violent sort." He turns to face Astra, giving her a soft, warm smile. "Hello there," he begins. "What's your name? Your real one, that is?"

"I am...Astra," comes the reply.  "I assure you, I meant no harm, your wife is safe, please don't let them harm me!"  She is practically begging now, tears falling from her eyes.  "I was desperate!  I have been falsely accused on my homeworld, and needed the time to gather the evidence that would exonerate me!  When the Federation got involved, I found your world ... and decided to hide here temporarily."

Orion raises a hoof and pats her soothingly, or would if he could go inside, "Please, calm yourself... I won't let them hurt you. You'll be safe with me." At her explanation, he tilts his head to one side. "What was the crime you were accused of? And why Raven, of all ponies?"

Astra sighs.  "I am accused of one of the highest crimes my people can commit -- the taking of another's life.  The killer left some of my biological material at the scene, in an attempt top implicate me."  She hangs her head.  "Since the one killed and I weren't on the best of terms, I naturally became the prime suspect.  I picked your wife because she was the first one I encountered upon arriving here.  She is on a transport ship that was supposed to return to this sector several of your days ago.  That's why I was sneaking out at night ... we were to rendevous at the clearing by the apple orchards.  I would receive the evidence I needed to clear my name, and your wife would return to you a little dazed, but none the worse for wear."

"I see..." He hums thoughtfully, looking quiet for a moment or two, before speaking again, "Thank you for your cooperation, Astra... if there's anything I can do to help you, let me know." He gives her another smile. "Consider yourself my friend. And... out of curiosity, what does your true form look like?" While waiting for her answer he glances back to Data and Picard, "I don't suppose either of you would be able to track the location of that transport ship?"

Picard turns to Data.  "Is there any credence to her story, Mister Data?" he asks sotto-voce.

"Her testimony has not changed from our initial interview, Captain.  The transport is the Faustian Ideal, which passes through the charted regions of the Zacherle cluster fairly regularly to exchange cargo and supplies.  Its flight path would have taken it through a region of space where several ships have disappeared with no warning or distress call over the past several months," Data replied just as quietly.

Astra rises.  "I will grant your request, Orion, to show my sincerity and my trust in you.”  She transforms before all those assembled into a being of pure energy and light. 

Orion oohs at the sight of her, "My goodness, you're almost completely incorporeal, and thoroughly genderless... and bipedal, or a rough approximation of same... I have so many questions!" He flicks his tail excitedly. "How do you eat? What allows you to transform? Is one form easier to take than another?"

Picard approaches a thoroughly excited Orion and places a hand where his shoulder would be.  “I do understand all of this is fascinating, and we will provide yuo with all of the information about the allasomorphs that we have.  However, I believe our first priority is seeing to retrieving your wife.”

Data speaks up. “I concur.  Given the information that we have, it is imperative that we be on our way immediately.”

Orion blushes bright red and nods, remembering himself. "Right, of course... let us be off. Astra, I hope to see you again soon!" He pivots on his hooves and begins trotting back toward the main bridge.

Picard and Data follow Orion out of the brig.  “Quite the adventurous little pony, wouldn’t you say, Mister Data?” Picard says as the door closes.

Back on the bridge, the ship is en route to the last known location of the Faustian Ideal.    “Report, Mister Data,” Picard says.

“Sensors show no abnormalities in this area, sir.  Continuing scans.”

“Well well, it seems like someone misplaced something yet again,” rings out a familiar voice from behind Picard.  Striding to the center of the bridge, Q smiles impishly, looking at Picard.  “Or is this how the Federation directs its officers to relax, by playing little games of --”  He stops as he sees Orion.  “Why, Sir Shadow, whatever brings you here?”

Orion gapes at the sight of Q, thrown for a loop. "Discord?!" he exclaims. "What are -you-... wait... are you actually Discord? You sound like him, and you know my name... as for why I'm here, well, it turns out my wife was replaced by a wrongly-convicted shapeshifter, so we're looking for the ship she, the real Raven that is, was placed upon."

Picard is stunned.  “Mister Shadow, are you acquainted with Q?” he asks, incredulously.

“Orion and I are old buddies, Jean-Luc ... although he knows me in a different form,” Q says, snapping his fingers and morphing into a different form.   “He knows me as Discord, and in this form,” said the draconequus standing before the bridge crew.  “Now, what’s this about dear Raven?” he asks.

“That's better..." Orion breathes a sigh of relief. "Raven was taken and replaced by an Allasomorph fleeing wrongful persecution. Astra says she's on a transport ship, which we're now looking for."

Q/Discord hums thoughtfully.  "I see.  Well, as it turns out, I was about to deliver information about that very ship."  Leaning in to Orion, and not really lowering his voice at all, he says, "Because I truly want to help you, not like I owe them any favors, I'll take you right to them."  Another snap of his fingers and the Enterprise is in time to see the Faustian Ideal, sitting motionless in front of a gigantic cube.  "Happy hunting," Q/Discord says as he snaps his fingers and blinks out of view.

Orion feels the fur on the back of his neck stand on end... "I don't like that cube, Captain... I don't know what it is or what it's for, but it doesn't look very nice. Mind filling me in?"

Picard’s answer is interrupted by Data.  “Sir, we are picking up audio communication between the vessels!”

“On speaker, Mister Data.”

Thousands of voices, speaking in unison, fill the air of the bridge.  “WE ARE THE BORG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED.  YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL DISTINCTION WILL BE ADDED TO OUR OWN. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.”  Then, there is silence.

After a moment, Data says, “Captain ... we are reading no life signs aboard the transport.”

Picartd sighs heavily.  “Mister Shadow ... I fear we may be too late to save your wife.  She has been taken by the Borg, and by now has been assimilated, meaning technologial implants have been introduced into her body.  These implants remove the very essence of who the individual once was, leaving them as slaves to the ‘Collective,’ as it is known.”

Orion affixes Picard with a determined stare. "And I suppose that's that, is it? You're just going to leave her there? She's a pony, like me! If they know about Equestria, then my entire planet hangs in the balance! I intend to rescue her, assimilations and implants be damned." And he stomps off toward Picard’s ready room.

Picard sighs, “I understand your determination, Sir Shadow, but believe me when I say that you cannot go galloping off into the heart of the fire and expect to remain unburnt.” Then, to Commander Data, he says, “The Borg don’t seem to have noticed us yet,  Explanations?”

“They can’t see you because I will not allow it.  I’m only doing this for Orion, by the way,” Q’s voice rings out through the bridge.  “You better talk to him, he gets a bit .. impatient where his wife is concerned.”

Picard enters the ready room, and after retrieving two cups of tea from the replicator, he sits down opposite a very agitated Orion.  “Mister Shadow ... Orion ... we cannot rush headlong into this.  Dealing with the Borg isn’t as simple as pulling off some swashbuckling rescue.  The Borg adapt to every attack, forming a defense quicker than one can formulate a new course of action ... eventually, they succeed in defeating you.”

Orion takes a sip of his tea, looking toward Picard once more. "You speak as if you've fought them before... what happened last time?"

Picard slowly gets up and walks in front of Orion.  Kneeling down, he points to several scars on his head.  “I was captured by the Borg.  They made me their spokesman, named me Locutus, and forced me to order the conquest of my entire species.  Were it not for some quick thinking by my crew, we would not be here to tell the tale today.”  He gets back up and sits back behind his desk.  “My point is, a rescue is possible, but it must be planned meticulously and executed quickly.  And, at the moment, we do not even know where your Raven is on their vessel.  I am also responsible for the thousand lives on board this ship.  I will not risk losing them on a fool’s errand.”

"And I will not risk losing the untold number of lives of ponies, changelings, griffons, and the other races that live on the planet Raven and I call home." He takes another sip of his tea. "There must be some way to find her... a scan for equine-based life, maybe?"

“If the assimilation process hasn’t progressed too far, we should be able to pinpoint her location.  In the meantime, I will have a team prepare to board the Borg vessel  in the event we can still rescue her.”  

“Captain Picard to the bridge!” Riker’s voice calls out.

Picard rises and exits the ready room, Orion following.  “Commander what is--”  He stops as he sees the image on the screen.

“We scanned for equine-based life forms, and found this,” Riker explained.  “I believe we’ve found her.”

The image on the screen is that of Borg drones walking to perform unknown tasks, behind which is a pony.  A pony in the general sense, becoming more machine-like in appearance as the image sharpens.  Tubes jut out from various points on her body, her hooves are clad in a black metallic substance, and her eyes now appear more mechanical, a dull red glow emanating from the centers of each pupil.  A high-pitched whine can be heard as her ears swivel to pick up noises around her.  Her coat is now a dull gray, devoid of any bright color.  Her cutie mark has changed to that of the Borg vessel.

Orion feels his blood turn to ice at the sight of his beloved now assimilated into the Collective, taking in her lack of fur color and her new cutie mark. "No... no, no, no, no!" He slams his hoof on the floor, unbridled fury filling his body as he watches her on the screen. "Oh Raven... my beautiful Raven... I swear to whatever is left of you, please hold on, because I'm coming to get you..."

* * *

"Captain's Log: Supplemental.  The Faustian Ideal, the transport bearing the wife of Orion Shadow, has been located with the assistance of the entity Q, who seems to take an interest in the pony race.  The transport has been captured by the Borg, and the crew and passengers taken for assimilation.  We were able to locate Orion's wife, and Q has graciously allowed us to remain undetected by the Borg.  We are planning a rescue mission to retrieve Orion's wife before she is completely assimilated."  

Picard is reviewing the plan with Orion in the briefing room, along with the members of the away team. "We will transport the team as close as possible to facilitate escape.  We won't have much time before the Borg realize we're here, so we must move quickly.  Go in, place the immobilizer on her neck, and activate the emergency transport.  Are there any questions?"

"What happens if they try to attack us?" Orion asks, raising a hoof. "I'm very good at defensive magic, I'd be able to hold them off for at least a little while..." 

"You'd only get one shot at least.  After that, the Borg would adapt to whatever attack you use and either block it or turn it against you," Riker said.

"That may not be true, Commander," Data said.  "The 'magic' that Mister Shadow uses is organic in nature, and not as predictable as a phaser.  It is quite possible he might be able to hold off the Borg for much longer than our weapons could hope to, even with rapid randomization of frequencies."

"You realize, Orion, that this is a very dangerous mission.  There is a high chance you could be captured or killed.  If you still wish to go, I cannot stand in your way, but I want to know for certain that you have weighed the risks to both yourself and to your Raven."  Picard waited for Orion's answer.

"I have a duty, Captain. A promise to uphold. One I made on our wedding day. And I would be doing both of us a great disservice if I failed to keep that promise." He straightens his bow tie determinedly. "Shall we be off, then?"

Realizing any further discussion would be pointless, Picard nods.  "Very well.  Accompany the away team to Transporter Room 1."  He taps the comm badge on his chest.  "Bridge to Sickbay.  Have Doctor Crusher and a medical team standing by in Transporter Room 1, prepare to receive assimilation victim.  Out."    He stands, as do the others in the room.  "Good luck to you all."

The interior of the Borg cube was as bleak and mechanical as the outside, the Borg having little use for creature comforts.  A faint green glow illuminated the ship, as drones passed along the walkways to perform their assigned tasks.  It was into the middle of this that the away team, along with Orion,  materialized.  Keeping Orion in the center, the team formed a defensive circle and began moving down the walkway.  Spotting their quarry, they slowly approached and attached the immobilizer.  Pressing the button on the device, the assimilated Raven went limp.

This did not go unnoticed by the Borg.  Several drones moved toward them, their weapons at the ready.  "Orion, sir, if you're going to do anything, now would be a good time!" called one of the team members.

"I'm on it!" He faces the Borg drones, staring them down. "Nice timing, you lot... We have what we came for, there isn't anything you can do to stop us." His horn starts to glow, softly at first but brighter and brighter as he puts more power into his spell. "I want you to understand something. Remember this, keep it in your collective brains. This mare is -not- your servant, she is not your emissary. I pledged to protect her, and if I have to rip this universe to shreds to bring her home safely, then that's what I'll do! I'll send you back to the Delta Quadrant so fast it'll make your heads spin! She is my -wife,- and you WILL NOT TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!" His horn appears to explode, sending shockwaves of raw power through the collected drones, powered by his fierce love of Raven. "LOVE FROM PONYVILLE, BOYS!" he shouts, voice echoing throughout the room.

A team member touched another button on the immobilization device.  "Emergency transport active!  Huddle in, we're getting out of here!"  Before the Borg could adapt to Orion's magic attack, the away team were but mere shimmers of light.

On the Enterprise, Raven's unconscious form was strapped down on a gurney, restraints applied at all points.  Doctor Crusher met the crew when they arrived in sickbay, at first shocked to see the patient.  Taking note of Orion, she breathed a little easier.  "I want to get a scan of you, to input your basic anatomy into the computer.  This will insure we treat he correctly."

"But.. of course..." Orion replies, smiling tiredly to Crusher. "I'll need a cup of earl grey too... excellent restorative  for extreme outpourings of magical energy..."

Doctor Crusher smiles.  "Of course."  She directs Orion to an empty biobed, and a few moments later the scans are complete.  A hot cup of Earl Grey tea awaits him.

With a better picture of pony anatomy, medical teams are busy preparing various instruments.  Doctor Crusher summons Orion to the treatment table where Raven lays immobile.  "We will have you stay close, it seems your magic works better against the Borg than we had thought.  We're going to wake her up now."  She nods to an assistant, who removes the immobilization device.

Almost instantly, Raven's robotic eyes flicker open, red beams piercing the room, searching for targets.  "I AM EQUUS OF BORG,"  came a voice that sounded nothing like the pony Orion loved.  "RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. THE PONY SPECIES IS INFERIOR.  WE WILL INCORPORATE YOUR DISTINCTIVENESS INTO OUR OWN."

Orion takes a drink of tea, then jumps at the sound of Equus' voice, "The pony species is inferior, is it? Odd, considering you fell in love with a unicorn, Raven Shadow." He slides off the biobed and goes to the treatment table, taking her hoof in his own, as he always did.

"RAVEN SHADOW EXISTS NO MORE. I AM EQUUS OF BORG."  

An alert medic yanks Orion's hoof away just as two tubes emerge from the metallic covering on Raven's hoof.  "They use nanites to begin the assimilation process.  That's  how they inject them.  I would advise not touching her for a while until we can get her disconnected from the collective."

"LOVE IS IRRELEVANT. LOVE IS A WEAKNESS. THE BORG  HAVE EVOLVED BEYOND LOVE. YOU WILL BECOME ONE WITH THE BORG."

"No, I don't think so somehow... In fact, I refuse. I will not join your collective, not for all the tea in Trottingham." Orion leans in. "I know you're in there, Raven... a love as strong as mine for you is matched only by your love for me... and all the nanites in the universe can't erase that. Concentrate on my voice, Raven... remember yourself."

Raven struggles for a moment, her brain processing what Orion was telling her.  "RAVEN IS........RAVE....RAVEN IS IRRLEVANT........." The Borg control seemed to be slipping.  "I AM EQUUS OF BORG.......EQUUS...... Orion.....help........"

"I'm doing the best I can for you, darling..." He kisses her on the lips, touching his horn to her forehead, and using Twilight's memory spell on her... images flash into her head, of all the times he and Raven spent together.

Doctor Crusher watched the readings on the monitor, amazed.  "I don't know what he's doing, but it seems to be working.  Get ready, we may be able to begin removing the implants soon."

Raven's eyes, now robotic and cold, close.  "Orion ..... I knew you'd ... find me.  I ..... .I love....you.  Please .... don't hate me.......if they can't fix me......please..."  She starts to drift off to sleep.

"Oh Raven, my beautiful Raven... I could never hate you. Sleep tight, my darling." He tucks her in, then looking to Crusher, "Alright Doctor, I believe she's ready."

Doctor Crusher confirms the readings on her monitor.  "Yes, we can begin.  This will take a while, so I'll have you escorted to the guest quarters.  I promise I will notify you as soon as she's able to take visitors."  She motions for a technician.  "We'll take good care of her," she says with a  smile.

"Thank you Doctor, I very much appreciate it." He smiles back, trotting with the technician to the guest quarters.

* * *

An hour has passed, and there's a chime at the door.  "Orion?  It's Captain Picard. May I enter?"

Orion Shadow looks up from his book and nods, "Of course! I was hoping to have visitors."

The door slides open and Picard enters.  "Good to see you're doing okay.  I received word that the removal of the Borg technology is progressing well, and should be complete within the hour or so."

"Excellent!" He breathes a sigh of relief. "This all went so well... the pessimistic side of me would say it was too easy, but... in the end, I'll have my Raven back, and that's what counts. Of course, I have Q, and your crew to thank for that."

“We were glad to be of service, and I'm sure you can thank Q, or Discord, or whatever entity he chooses to be, when we return you to your own world.  Is there anything we can do to make your stay with us more comfortable until we arrive at your home world?" Picard asks.

"You've done more than enough for me," Orion says with a laugh, "But I'll wait and see what Raven has to say when she wakes."

Picard smiles.  "Very well.  Do not be afraid to ask for anything should you desire it."  He gets up.  "I must return to the bridge.  Please pass my regards to your wife when you see her." He walks from the room, the door sliding shut.

After an hour or so, Orion climbs to his hooves once more and begins trotting toward sickbay again, whistling cheerfully to himself and nodding happily at any passersby.

"Just in time," Doctor Crusher says as Orion enters.  "She's over there and been asking for you.  I want to caution you, we couldn't undo everything the Borg implanted, so please don't be too shocked at what you might see."

Raven lay in a biobed, a few scars and bald patches showing where most of her implants were.  Her right hoof still was clad in the same black metallic substance, and her eyes, while still robotic, now had a more natural coloring about them.  One ear remained metallic, turning with a soft, slight whine when it swiveled.  Best of all, her cutie mark had returned to what it once was, and her coloring had almost returned to full luster.  "Orion?" she said softly.  "Oh, it's so good to see you again, my darling."

"And you too, my love," He smiles wide, hardly batting an eyelash at what remains of the Borg technology, or the scars and bald spots. Fur grew back, after all. "I was so worried... seeing you up there, overtaken... it scared me. But you're safe now, and that's what matters." He does eye the black substance covering her right forehoof. "That's not going to implant nanites in me, will it?"

“They said it was deactivated. I pose no harm to anypony, especially you," Raven says with a smile.  "It was the weirdest thing ... one moment I was walking to Sugarcube Corner to get some surprise treats for you and the foals, and the next thing I know I'm on some strange spaceship."

Orion takes the covered hoof at that, and nods, "Indeed? We'll have to go there when we return to Equestria... have a little welcoming party for you." He nuzzles her cheek, "What else do you remember?"

"Well ... everyone I met on the ship was nice. They had never seen anypony like me before, and I was actually quite the celebrity.  Then, I remember the big cube that appeared in front of us...lots of screaming and shouting .... something grabbed me and I felt a couple of stings....and that was it until I saw you here."

"That must be when you got... all this..." He gestures to the various cybernetics. "If it's any consolation, your new appearance doesn't scare me in the least." He smiles at her. "How would you like to go up to the bridge? You can meet all the friends I've made!"

Raven shakily sits up.  "I'd like that ... but you might have to let me lean on you, I'm still a bit woozy...Doctor, is it okay if I go with my husband?" she asks.

Doctor Crusher waves a small scanner around Raven.  "Sure, jsut don't over-exert yourself."  

Raven slowly gets to her hooves, and leans against Orion.  "Okay then ... lead the way."

Orion nods and trots with her toward the bridge, going slowly thanks to her added weight. "I've met an android, a shapeshifter made of pure energy, humans... so many races! They'll just love you!"

Raven leans against Orion and nuzzles him.  "All I care about is if you love me, my darling."  They make their way to the bridge.

"Ah, Orion ... and this must be the lucky lady, I presume?" Picard says as the turbolift doors open and the couple step onto the bridge.  The entire bridge crew turns and smiles.

Orion laughs and nods, "Of course I love you, Raven. And I will for the rest of my life." As they arrive on the bridge, he nods. "it is! Captain Picard, may I introduce to you Lady Raven Shadow. Raven, this is Captain Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise."

"An honor, Lady Shadow," Picard says, giving a slight bow. "How are you feeling?"

"I'd just like to be able to go home, Captain," Raven responds.

"I fully understand.  We should be arriving back at your home world within the next two hours.  We are just now entering the Zacherle cluster.  Please, feel free to look around," Picard says warmly.

Orion suddenly remembers something, "Are you hungry, Raven? It's past dinnertime according to my watch, but I'm sure we can find something for you to eat, if you'd like it."

"I'm not really all that hungry at the moment, but I could use some tea right about now," Raven replies.

Orion nods, "Very well then! They have something called the replicator I think you'll like." He shows it off, putting in an order for two cups of tea, "And here we are! Just the way you like it."

Raven takes a sip.  Her eye widen.  "You're right!  It's exactly how I like it -- but, how--where did ---" she stammers, before shrugging and taking another sip.

"Technology, darling!” He laughs, "Though honestly, it looks more like magic to me." He sips his own, quite used to it by now. Then he sits, wrapping a foreleg around his beloved. "Ready to sleep in your own bed again?"

"I'm ready to sleep for a week ... or two," she says with a giggle.  "I'll be so glad to see the familiar sights of home once again."  She yawns.  "Perhaps we could ask Pinkie to hold off on that party for a little while..."

"Your wish is my command," he promises, kissing her muzzle. "I'll wake you when we get there."

Raven snuggles against her husband, and lightly dozes as the stars drift by the viewport.

As they approach Equestria a few hours later, Orion gently nuzzles the earth mare, and whispers "We're here... almost. I haven't the faintest idea what our landing procedures will be."

Raven opens one eye.  "You don't know, or don't want to tell me?" she asks with a hint of mischief.

Captain Picard enters the room where the two have been staying.  "We're entering orbit now.  If you two will accompany me to the transporter room, we'll get you back home in no time."

"Oh! That's how! I really should have guessed." He helps Raven up and trots with her toward the transporter room, "You'll like this... it's like my teleport spell, only I'm not casting anything."

"Ooo, sounds fun," Raven says, following Orion onto the pads.

Picard smiles at the two.  "It was truly a pleasure to have met you both. I hope some day your world and the Federation can truly unite as friends."

"And you, Captain. Come visit us sometime, we can introduce you to Luna!" Then, with a last wave, he proclaims "Energize!"

* * *

The room starts to shimmer, and after a moment Orion and Raven find themselves once again standing on the soil of Ponyville.  "That was fun," Raven says, "but let's not do that again too soon, okay?"

Orion laughs and nods, taking Raven's metallic hoof in his own organic one. "For now, I think normality is just what we need." And together, the two ponies trot in the direction of home.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Discord's voice rings out over the landscape: "You're welcome, Orion.”


	2. Revenge of the Borg

Equestria was in a panic. Seemingly overnight, an ominous-looking black and green cube had floated toward the planet, getting closer with every passing hour. By morning it had blotted out the sun.

Within the cube, at the exact mid-point, sat a purple earth pony mare covered in electronic implants. Her name was Equus, the Queen of the Borg. She brought over a screen and looked at the exterior footage of the cube, and smiled. “Equestria…” she hissed, in an unnatural, artificial sort of voice. “Home. Now it will become a part of the Collective, as will all things in time.”

Behind her in a makeshift cell sat a grey unicorn stallion with green eyes, a brown mane and tail, and a pocket watch on his flank, as well as some of the same implants placed in his fur. He glared at her. “It won’t. I won’t allow it. Time has been altered, and I must fix it.”

“Be SILENT, unicorn!” shouted the mare, turning to him. “You will remain there as my prisoner, and watch as all you hold dear is brought into the Collective!”

The unicorn turned away. “I already have. What more could you possibly do?”

“Enough of this!” exclaimed the Queen. “Locutus, sedate the equine at once!” 

“But of course,” said a new voice, as an older man entered the room. Formerly known as Jean-Luc Picard, he too was fully assimilated into the Collective, and jabbed a needle in his left arm into the unicorn’s foreleg. The unicorn fell immediately, and lay on the floor. 

The Queen smiled. “Excellent… establish visual contact with the planet below. Their dominant species is primitive, but they do have rudimentary communication channels available.”

Locutus nodded and went to work.

* * *

Down below, the four Princesses of Equestria gathered on a balcony, looking up at the mysterious cube. “What could it mean?” wondered the youngest, Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville.

“I don’t know…” sighed Cadance. "I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Neither have we,” said Luna grimly. “Ordinarily, we would send for Orion… but he has been missing for months. Vanished, with his foals and a full staff still at home.”

Celestia frowned. “That’s not like him… I wonder where-“ Her musings were interrupted when Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor, came cantering onto the balcony. “The cube, your majesties… there appears to be something aboard, we think it’s trying to talk to us.”

“Then we’d best not keep them waiting,” Celestia said. “Let’s go.” And so the five ponies trotted together toward, for some reason, the castle movie theater.

On the projection screen there was an image of the cube’s interior,  it looked dark and foreboding, like some kind of industrial warehouse. But the most shocking thing of all was the figure in the middle.

Luna froze. “Sister… it’s Raven Shadow… how could she be here?”

“I am Equus of Borg,” said the Queen. "Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us.” Her voice was cold and emotionless, without any of the warmth Raven usually spoke with. The four Princesses gathered together, for once unsure of what they could do.

Celestia was the first to compose herself, her face an expressionless mask.  "I am Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria, guardian of the sun.  I recognize you as Raven Shadow, one of our citizens.  I appeal to the decency that is Raven's and ask you to cease your attack upon our world.  We have nothing of value for you here."

Luna spoke next.  "I am Luna, co-ruler of Equestria, guardian of the moon.  Raven Shadow, I know you can hear me, stop this senseless attack at once!"

"The knowledge and experience of the equine Raven Shadow is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless, Your Majesties,” intones Equus emotionlessly.

"We have prevailed against stronger enemies than you, " Princess Twilight Sparkle interjected.  "We will protect Equestria and all that dwell here. We do not wish to fight but we will not simply surrender either."

Princess Cadance finally spoke.  "Raven ... I've heard you were a fighter.  I urge you to fight now, resist this ... this thing that has control of you.  Please, I know you can prevail if you keep fighting!"

“Fighting is irrelevant. Your people will be assimilated as easily as Raven has been. Your attempt at a delay will not be successful, Your Majesties. We will proceed to Equestria, and if you attempt to intervene, we will destroy you." The screen goes dark.

The princesses stared at the screen in silence.  They had encountered many threats -- Discord, Nightmare Moon, Tirek, Chrysalis and the changeling invasion -- and yet, this threat seemed almost insurmountable.  Underneath their stoic visages, the heart of each princess was in turmoil.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the small town of Appleloosa, two ponies stared up at the menacing cube hovering above their world.  One was a light-gray earth pony with a brown mane, wearing a battered Stetson.  The other was a larger earth pony with dark brown hair and mane, and an upside-down horseshoe for a cutie mark.

"Whatcha reckon it is, Troubleshoes?" Longhaul asked.

"Dunno," Troubleshoes replied, "but it would be just my luck that whatever it is is gonna destroy us once and for all."

"Figures.  Just made the last payment on that new wagon last week, too."  Longhaul and Trouble shoes sigh in unison, "Typical."

* * *

A train going from Las Pegasus to Ponyville is getting ready to pull out of the station. A purple earth pony mare wearing a magician's cloak and hat gallops up to the station and presents her ticket to the conductor, who lets her on. Smiling in relief, the mare makes her way through the train, looking for somewhere to sit. For some reason, she has some black material on her hooves.

"You may sit here, if you like," calls a voice.  Raven turns to see a pony with a short blonde mane and short tail, patting an empty seat.  "This seat is not occupied."  Raven examines her benefactor closely.  She is an earth pony, otherwise unremarkable in appearance, except for some strange ridging around her eyes.  Her language seems stilted, almost like that android fellow she had met previously.

Seeing no other options, Raven proceeds into the compartment, sliding the door closed with a rear hoof. She sits across from the mare and puts on her best magician's smile. "Thank you, miss. You're very kind," she says. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Jeri ... Jeri Curl.  I am a hair stylist by trade."  Her cutie mark was that of a pair of scissors and a curling iron.  "Are you Raven Shadow, the magician pony I have heard about?" she asked.

"I most certainly am," replies Raven, nodding. "Did you get to see my shows at the Mirage last night?"

Jeri shakes her head.  "Sadly, I did not, but I had seen your posters about town.  I had heard many ponies talking about your show, saying it was the best magic show they had seen in quite a while.  Some even compared your show to one performed by one claiming to be 'great and powerful,' with yours being superior."

Raven grins. "Exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for! Trixie is my closest competition, and if there's one thing I know, it's that my brand  of earth pony magic is superior to the smoke and mirrors she puts up every night." She draws herself up to her full height as the train pulls out of the station.

The two mares chatted amiably as the train rolled along toward Ponyville.  Discussing topics ranging from magic shows to the latest in mane and tail care products, the subject quickly changed to hoof care.  Jeri looked down at raven's hooves. "Oh my ... is there something wrong with your hooves?  I could fix that for you if you wish."

"It's a long story," Raven admits, blushing gently. "I'm not sure that they -can- be fixed... all I know is that the black stuff has been, for lack of a better word, turned off... nanogenes, or something. You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

"I am no stranger to odd stories, Raven Shadow," Jeri says, grabbing Raven's hoof firmly in hers.  Before Raven can pull away, two tubes emerge from Jeri's hoof and stab Raven in the foreleg.  "it is now time to write a new chapter," Jeri says, grabbing hold of the stunned mare before both of them shimmer out of existence.

* * *

Raven soon finds herself back in an eerily-familiar looking place.  The sound of heavy footsteps echo through the metallic corridors, the lifeforms passing by not caring or stopping to look.  They moved with mechanical precision, focused on the task they were told to perform.  Raven watches in horror as her new friend "Jeri" begins to shimmer.  Her appearance changes from that of a simple earth pony to a human ... a human made more of machine parts than flesh and bone.  Her  hair was gone, leaving her completely bald, tubes projecting from the implants in her skull.  Her left eye was covered with an optical device.  "I am Seven of Nine, of the Borg.  Raven Shadow, we have need of you to complete our mission.  You will be re-assimilated into our collective.  Resistance is futile."

"Go to Tartarus," Raven growls, turning around on her hooves and bucking Seven of Nine as hard as she can. "I am -not- doing this again!" She takes off running down the corridor, and thinks of the only draconequus in the universe who could help her now. "Discord!" she shouts. "I know you can hear me, somehow! Help me, please!"

Back on Equestria, at Fluttershy's cottage, Discord moves around dusting the occasional knick-knack.  He wears a frilly French maid's outfit and hums a tuneless melody to himself.  Suddenly, he stops and remains silent for a moment, then shakes his head and pokes at his ear.  "That's strange, I could have sworn I heard somepony calling my name," he says to himself.  He listens again for a moment before shrugging and returning to his chore.

Responding to an unheard command, several Borg drones quickly advance on Raven and subdue her.  She struggles, but her captors hold her tight. Seven of Nine, having recovered quickly from Raven's attack, walks over to the still-resisting pony.  "It is pointless to resist.  You serve our needs now.  We will make you one of us."  Another unspoken command, and Raven is carried down the corridor.

"I already said no," Raven says, rolling her eyes. "You tried that once before, and you know what happened? My husband rescued me. I know you've got information on him in this big ol' box of yours, what makes you think you can do anything to me and stop him from finding out? He always does in the end."

"Your husband is irrelevant.  Escape is impossible.  He, too, will be assimilated."  Seven of Nine's voice was cold and emotionless as she answered Raven's queries.   "Equestria has use to us.  You will assist us in assimilating the inhabitants of Equestria."

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen!" she insists. "I'm not stupid! What could you possibly have planned to ensure that takes place? Take me to your leader!"

An echo of footsteps approaches the group, and a red laser light pierces through the smoke and darkness.  Raven's eyes widen when she sees Captain Picard ... but not him, not in this form.  "I am Locutus ... of Borg.  You will serve us as we command.  You will bring Equestria into the Collective.  Escape is impossible.  We are your home now."

"I'd rather die," Raven says, defiant to the end. "But you wouldn't be so kind as to let me, I imagine... what are you going to do instead? Don't you people have a queen?"

"Anger is irrelevant.  Defiance is pointless.  I have been chosen to speak for our queen to you, and you will speak for our queen to Equestria," Locutus replied.  The entourage reaches a brightly-lit room, bright by Borg standards, in which sits a simple examination-style table with restraints located at pre-measured intervals to accommodate most species.  Above the table is an array of medical devices.  "Your assimilation will commence immediately."  With those words, Raven is strapped down to the table. Locutus, Seven, and the drones all leave the room.

Raven is frozen there on the table, tears in her eyes. As the assimilation process begins, she begins to cry, quietly. In time however, her face calms as emotions are stripped from her, and her entire body becomes more machine than equine. After a while, a circular portion in a faceplate similar to Picard's glows a magenta color. "Assimilation complete," she intones quietly, no trace of emotion left.

* * *

At the time of Raven's ill-fated train trip, a blur streaks through the blackness of the cosmos.  Engines thrumming at full power, it races along on its course.

"Ship's log, stardate 46897.4, acting captain William Riker recording.  The Borg have returned once again, using an infiltrating agent to once again abduct Captain Picard.  The ship has since retreated and is now on course to a small planet in the Zacherle cluster, a world we have had contact with only once before."

On the bridge of the Enterprise, red lights flashed, and each station was staffed with crewmembers performing their assigned tasks.  They focused on their task, each with a stern and somewhat worried expression on their faces, save for one, whose android personality did not allow for emotion.

"So, you're saying the Borg may have 'acquired' the allasomorph's ability to change form?" Riker asked the android.  "That would explain how we didn't detect the presence of the Borg until it was too late."

"That is my hypothesis, Commander," Data replied.   "I am uncertain if this is entirely the truth, however--"

"Sir, we are approaching the planet Equus.  The Borg have also arrived," Lieutenant Commander Worf announced from the tactical position.  "They do not appear to be doing anything more than ... hovering."

"All hands to battle stations!  Helm, bring us out of warp close to the planet but out of range of the Borg sensors," Riker directed.  On the main viewscreen, the stars slowed to reveal a peaceful-looking planet being menaced by an ugly, sterile cube.  "Mister Worf, scan the planet surface, look for anything beyond the readings our previous guest had provided."

Worf touches a few indicators on his display panel.  "I have a reading, sir, appears to be in transit at a rapid rate of-- sir!  Transporter signature detected.  They've returned to the Borg ship."

"Mister Data, do you believe they may be attempting to ... reclaim certain items?" Riker asked.

"It is quite possible, sir.  With your permission, I would like to beam down to the planet and speak to our contact.  He may be able to assist us in our mission."

"Granted," Riker said.  "Just be careful, Mister Data."

A few moments later, on the planet surface, a shimmering light appears in front of the door to Shadowfall Manor.  Data, regaining solid form once again, gives three precise knocks on the heavy door.  Addressing the servant who opens the door to see this strange creature standing there, Data says,  "Please do not be alarmed.  Inform Sir Shadow that the Federation needs his assistance."

The servant nods and runs off to inform Orion. Orion himself comes cantering downstairs, halfway through putting on his waistcoat, jacket, and bowtie. "I was wondering when you'd show up," he says to Data as he trots out the front door. "Soon as I noticed Raven was missing and the gigantic cube in the sky... it's good to see you again, I only wish it wasn't in the middle of a crisis."

"The timing of my visit is quite regrettable.  Time, however, is something of which we do not have an abundance.  Both Captain Picard and your wife have been taken by the Borg, and if we do not act quickly, we will not be able to recover them before they are completely assimilated into the Collective."

”Then let's not waste any more time," Orion says, getting down to business. "We'll take the carriage!"

Some time later, Orion and Data were speeding along through the countryside toward Canterlot. "Why do the Borg want Equestria? We're not exactly a technologically advanced species!"

"We are uncertain of the motives of the Borg in this matter.  We can only speculate that the Borg wish to add your magical abilities to their own."  Data takes a quick look around as the scenery speeds by.  "What is our destination, Sir Shadow?"

“Canterlot Castle," he explains. "I want to find out what the Princesses know, they'll be very useful to us I think." The carriage climbs the mountain and heads toward a special secret entrance apparently installed for Orion's use by Luna herself. Orion is helped out first, followed by Data. The guards look on somewhat suspiciously, but Orion says, "Relax, he's with me." They nod and let them in.

All four princesses are gathered in what has been dubbed the "War Room."  Maps of Equestria and surrounding lands adorn the walls, with markers indicating troop placements and strength.  Different colored pins represent different species -- blue pins for minotaurs, green pins for camels, brown pins for griffons, and red pins for ponies.  The princesses had been at the castle discussing strategy since the appearance of the cube, and gathered here as soon as Luna received the flash message Orion had sent.

"Commander Data, it is a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it could have been under better circumstances," Princess Celestia spoke.  "Princess Luna and I have briefed Cadance and Twilight on the situation, and we all are deeply saddened by the abduction of your captain."

"Your concern is appreciated, Your Highness," Data replied,  "and it is an honor to meet you as well." Returning to the matter at hand, and hoof, Data continued, "We are unsure of the reasons for abducting Captain Picard and Mrs. Brownmare, however we do know that the existence of Borg hardware in their systems will make re-assimilating easier."

"What is sure," Luna interrupted, "is that we must stop this menace and protect Equestria, and all the lands on this planet.  Orion, you have had contact with this species before, can you offer any insights for us?"

"Well, knowing what I know from before, odds are they want to take us over and turn Equestria into another colony. Have you established contact with them yet?"

"So far, we've heard nothing," Celestia says.  "They appear to be biding their time.  Almost as if they're waiting for something to be completed before...."  The realization hits all four princesses.  "They plan to use Raven as the catalyst!"

Orion's mouth forms an o shape. "Oh. Ohhhh. Oh! Now it all makes sense!" He sighs, "But how? If we can learn how they're going to do it, we can come up with a plan to stop them. But how-" He's interrupted by the abrupt appearance of... well, himself, looking distinctly bedraggled and even more machine-like than usual. 

The other Orion gazes at his younger self, and speaks urgently. "Okay, good, I made it... listen, younger me, you have to go back in time. Go back to when Raven was first captured, but do not intervene. Otherwise you'll end up like me."

Data is the first to speak.  "Most intriguing.  I was not aware your species had the ability to manipulate time in such a fashion."  He scans the older Orion with his tricorder before older Orion poofs back to his correct time.  "Biological scan reveals older Mr. Shadow is at 54.927 percent assimilation.  He still retained his ability to think independently, however."

The younger Orion nods and gives his older self an encouraging smile, "Hold on, older me. It'll all work out in the end." The older Orion nods and disappears. 

Orion looks to Princess Twilight. "You're the element of magic, any chance you could extend Starswirl's time spell? 48 hours or so should do it."

Twilight nods.  "I can do that for you, Orion," she says.  "If I recall, she was performing in Las Pegasus and was supposed to be returning home today.  I will send you to the train station there."  Her horn lights up, and a brilliant flash briefly lights the room.

* * *

The Las Pegasus train station is bustling with activity.  A unicorn using a voice-amplification spell calls out, "Train for Ponyville, leaving on Track Two in five minutes!  All aboard for Ponyville!!"

Raven Shadow pushes through the crowd, en route to the correct train platform.  Unknown to her, she is being watched, by two sets of eyes.  One belonging to her husband, who is also making his way to the train, and by a second, an earth pony who shows no signs of emotion as she whispers to herself, "Target sighted.  Capture imminent. Stand by for return signal."

Orion is doing his best to keep his face and cutie mark covered so he is not recognized. He purchases a ticket and stays within the crowd as much as he can, keeping Raven in his peripheral vision.

Raven sighs to herself.  Her show went wonderfully, and received many rave reviews, but it was always good to be heading home, to her loving family.  Scanning the crowd boarding the train, she wondered if she would have to stand the whole way, or at least until the first stop in Appleloosa. If she was quick, she could grab a seat there before other ponies boarded the train.

Orion kept close behind her, staying discretely hidden, and watched as she boarded the train.

Raven scans the train, looking for a place to sit.  It seems most of the spaces are occupied, with no single seats available except for the private compartments.  She is about to give up hope when a voice calls out.  "You may sit here, if you like," the voice says.  Raven turns to see a pony with a short blonde mane and short tail, patting an empty seat.  "This seat is not occupied."

Orion takes his spot in an adjacent compartment, listening in on their conversation. The other mare's halting speech gives him pause. Perhaps this is the mare? 

Seeing no other options, Raven proceeds into the compartment, sliding the door closed with a rear hoof. She sits across from the mare and puts on her best magician's smile. "Thank you, miss. You're very kind," she says. "May I ask your name?" Raven's voice is muffled, and quickly lost altogether as the train pulls out of the station.

The conversation continued, although muffled by the compartment walls and the rumbling of the train.  Orion struggled to listen to what was being said, while he considered the other mare's appearance. Short manes and tails weren't unusual, in fact that was the new look being touted in Manehattan this year.  There was something about her eyes that didn't seem right.  How they never blinked, for starters, and the ridging underneath and up the sides ... where had he seen that before?

As the train stops at the destination, it all clicks. He knows who she is now, and wants desperately to burst in and rescue his beloved. But as he is about to make his move, Raven is stabbed by the tubes and faints. "Noooooo!"

"It is now time to write a new chapter," Jeri says, grabbing hold of the stunned mare.  Sending an unspoken command, both mares are enveloped in a shimmering glow.

* * *

Orion finds himself back in the War Room a few seconds later, worry on his face. "They sent one of their drones onto the train to capture her... and now she's up there somewhere, assimilated again."

"When Captain Picard was captured initially it was the Borg Queen's hope that he would rule with her, but when he refused to accept his assimilation, he was turned into a drone, whose mission was to facilitate the assimilation of Earth.  I believe Mrs. Shadow is being used in a similar fashion,” Data explains. 

"Sisters, we cannot let this aggression stand!" Luna declared, slamming her hooves on the table.  "We must come up with a plan of action, and quickly, in order to save our subject from a fate that appears worse than death itself!"

"Then we'll have to bring in some outside help," Orion says, looking to Luna. "Data, who's currently in command of the Enterprise?"

"Commander Riker has assumed command in Captain Picard's absence," Data answered.  "He has said he would be willing to render any and all assistance necessary to combat this threat."

“Oh good! Let's go talk to him then." Orion looks to the gathered Princesses, "It would probably help if at least a couple of you joined us."

Celestia looked at Luna, then to the other two.  "Since this is our first contact with an alien species, I feel it is best that Luna and I accompany Orion and Commander Data to the ... starship, you called it?" she said.  "We will return with, hopefully, a way to defeat that menace and save our world."  

Data nodded.  "Very well.  Please join us here."  The two princesses stood by Data and Orion.  "The effect will not be unpleasant, and according to Mr. Shadow, quite similar to your teleportation."  He tapped the comm badge on his uniform.  "Data to Enterprise.  Four to beam up."  Milliseconds later, all four shimmered, and faded from the room.

Aboard the Enterprise, the transporter technicians seemed momentarily stunned to see two large horse-type creatures with wings and horns materialize on the transporter pad, but quickly put it out of their mind.  "Come with me, please," Data said to the three as they made their way to the bridge.

Following introductions, Riker said, "Mr. Shadow, you never mentioned that you had such high-placed friends."

Orion chuckles. "It's come in handy many times, as I'm sure Luna would agree." He smiles a little at the moon princess, then turns back to Riker. "Do you have a conference room around here somewhere?"

"This way, " Riker says, indicating the direction to the Ready Room.  The group follows along.

"The Borg do not act randomly," Data said to the gathering inside the Ready Room.  "Everything they do is calculated to a positive end result, with as little waste as possible.  The re-assimilation of the captain and Mrs. Shadow are part of a larger plan that we as of yet have no knowledge about."

"Which makes it more imperative that we stop them before they can destroy this world like they've done to so many others," Riker practically snarled.  "Mr. Shadow, I hesitate to ask this, but could your ... 'special friend' Q assist us in this?"

"It's possible," Orion says with a shrug. "But there's no predicting Discord. He is the lord of chaos, after all." Hopefully that would've been enough to summon him.

"Discord knows of these creatures?" Celestia asked Luna, shocked at this revelation.   "And has apparently interacted with them before?"

"They know me in a different capacity, dear Celestia," Q says, stepping into view from behind Celestia.  He is in humanoid form, wearing a Starfleet uniform.  His collar pips indicate the rank of admiral.  "I was as shocked as you are now to see Orion cavorting with these dear friends of mine," he said, pinching Data's cheeks in a friendly-aunt way.  "Perhaps you'd prefer me like this?" He snaps his fingers and transforms back into his draconequus self, but still in Starfleet uniform.

"The uniform suits you," Orion compliments. "I'd like one of those someday. Anyway, to business... we have to rescue Raven and Captain Picard, stop the Borg from taking over the world, and such like... any ideas?"

Discord's eyes widen.  "So that was Raven I heard calling my name earlier.  I wasn't sure what that was."  He frowns.  "It seems they've already started assimilating her.  We'd better act quickly, then."  Discord snaps his fingers, and the six find themselves on the Borg cube.  Drones pass by, not giving the new arrivals a glance as they go about their tasks.  "As long as you don't call attention to yourself, they won't even know you're here," Discord whispers to Luna and Celestia.  "I'll be nearby, scream when you have them."  Discord winks out of sight.  

Data studies his tricorder.  "Mrs. Shadow is down this corridor, there is an assimilation chamber at the end of it.  I cannot use this again for fear it will be detected."  He shuts the device down.  The team walks down the corridor, dodging the occasional drone.

Orion and Riker lead the pack, keeping an eye out for Locutus. "Looks exactly like it did last time... They don't believe in interior design."

"They build for efficiency, not aesthetics," Riker whispered in reply.  "Quicker to repair in combat this way."  

"We have two immobilization devices ready," Data said softly.  "We have modified them from the first time we used them on the captain, so the Borg technology should not be able to deactivate them."

"We will let the Earthers immobilize Raven and their captain, while we will throw a shield around all of us, then call for Discord," Luna said quietly.  Celestia nodded in affirmation.

Approaching the end of the hall, the team could see Raven strapped down on a medical-style table.  All of the color had been drained from her, her hair and fur now a pale grey.  Locutus stood nearby, watching over her.  Silently, Riker and Data approached the two new drones, and slapped the devices on their necks.  Both slipped into unconsciousness.  Celestia's and Luna's horns lit simultaneously, throwing a shield bubble around all in the room. Borg drones attempted to enter, but could not adapt quick enough to the alicorn magic.  "Discord, get us out of here!" Celestia called out.  A blinding flash filled the room, and the team arrived in Sickbay, with Doctor Beverly Crusher and her medical team startled by the sudden influx of people and ... ponies?  

Sizing up the situation, Doctor Crusher quickly called out, "Heavy restraints!  Have sedatives standing by!" The medical team sprang into action and soon Picard and Raven were strapped down on separate beds.

Remembering from last time, Orion watches the medical team work and phews, sighing in relief. "What are the chances we can do something to stop this from happening again?"

"Last time, all we did was attempt to deactivate the Borg nanoprobes," Doctor Crusher explained, "but tis time I believe we have found a way to shut them down completely."  She leads Orion and the others to a viewscreen set up over a microscope.  On the screen is a single nanoprobe.  "This is a nanoprobe from Captain Picard, taken after his previous assimilation.  We've been able to crack the encoding and essentially reprogram the nanoprobe, sending it after the other nanoprobes in the host body.  It then overwrites the original Borg programming, replacing it with the new program.  From this point, they become inert until they encounter new nanoprobes, in which they act as antibodies to nullify the threat."

"Very good!" Orion claps, looking impressed. "Yes, that will work splendidly!"

"Mister Data, please take our guests to Ten Forward, I'm sure they can use a rest after everything that's happened.  I'm sure the doctor will keep them advised as to any changes," Riker said, smiling.

Doctor Crusher nods.  "The process takes several hours, and I will update you regularly, I promise."

"Oh wonderful, thank you!" Smiling, he follows Data and the princesses toward Ten Forward.

With the ship still on alert status, Ten Forward wasn't as populated as it would normally be at that time.  This was perhaps for the best, give the occupancy of two very regal emissaries of the planet below.  Celestia and Luna looked round the mostly-empty lounge, the viewing ports providing a spectacular view of the planet spinning beneath them.

"Such a view I would have never imagined," Celestia said, staring out the portal.  

"It does look better at close range," Luna quipped. “I never got tired of it, even after a thousand years. You learn to watch the storms go by.”

A woman wearing a strange hat approached the table.  "Good evening, my name is Guinan.  May I get you all something to drink?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"You can!" Orion says happily. "I'll take an earl grey tea, and my companions will have whatever they wish."

"Tea sounds lovely," Celestia said.  "I will have what Orion is having."

"I wish something exotic," Luna said, "please bring me a specialty drink from this Earth these creatures hail from."

"Of course," Guinan replied.  "I will be back in a moment."  She goes behind the bar and returns with two cups of tea with assorted accompaniments, and a tall glass of a red-colored, fizzy liquid.  "Two teas, and one cherry limeade.  I hope you enjoy."

Luna takes a sip, and instantly her eyes go wide.   "We must make this the official drink of Equestria!" she declared, slamming her hooves on the table. 

Orion laughs, "I am sure Cherry Jubilee would appreciate that, Luna!" He sips his tea, looking pleased at how well everything has gone so far.

The wailing of the klaxon and a  sudden slip of the artificial gravity changed that mood quickly.  Ship's personnel ran off to their duty stations, leaving Orion and the princesses wondering what was going on.  Luna looked out of the portal.  "Sister, look!" she cried.  Celestia looked out just in time to see their home becoming a small dot, replaced by whizzing stars.

"Riker to Ten Forward," his voice intoned over the speakers, "please be advised that the Borg have become quite cranky over the removal of Captain Picard and Mrs. Shadow, and are currently attempting to attack us.  We are leading them away from the planet while we deal with this new development.  Pleas remain calm, Guinan will assist you in any way she can.  Riker out."

"I knew it was too easy!" Orion grumbles, still sipping his tea. "What do we do? I can't stand feeling helpless."

"If they wish our help, they will ask.  I have faith that they can come up with a solution to our current crisis," Celestia calmly said, although her insides were full of turmoil over the current state of affairs.  Luna took an anxious sip of her limeade. The ship rocked as a muffled explosion was heard.

Orion looks around in surprise. "Guinan? Any idea what that could be?"

"Seems to me the Borg are externalizing their anger in the form of weapons discharges," Guinan replied, bringing over a large pot of tea and a large pitcher of cherry limeade.  "Commander Riker has dealt with this situation before.  He's putting the safety of your planet first, as a good Starfleet officer should.   I suspect he already has a plan to deal with this."

Orion nods and pours himself another cup of tea, as they do in Trottingham. "I trust him," he says finally. "He's got experience, as you say!"

Elsewhere, Dr. Crusher and her medical team were busy putting the finishing touches on the nanoprobe cure as the Borg began their assault on the Enterprise. The room shook, and several personnel were jostled. Crusher held on to a nearby bed to steady herself. "Of all the moments... okay everyone, we should be ready to administer the first dose. Are we ready?"

Commander Data, who had been monitoring the nanoprobes as well as attempting to link to the Borg in an attempt to stop their attack, tapped a few indicators on the panel in front of him.  "The probes appear to be functioning.  I am detecting no influence by the Borg, only our programming.  You may proceed when ready, Doctor."

"Excellent." Crusher pushes a red button that had been hooked up to both sets of nanoprobes, and waits for life signs. "Captain? Mrs. Shadow? Can you hear me?"

Initially, there was no response.  Data continued to monitor on his panel.  "The probes are working at a phenomenal speed ... and are converting the Borg probes as we had directed them."  The complexions of the two began to take on more lively colors, Picard/Locutus becoming less pale, Raven's natural fur coloring returning.

"Doctor...." came Picard's voice over the speaker.  "Unable to speak .... how...."

"Where .... again ... how...." was all Raven could communicate.

"I'll explain later," Crusher says finally, looking visibly relieved, "When you've had time to rest and recuperate from your ordeals." She turns her attention to Raven, "Your husband is in Ten Forward. Would you like me to send for him?"

Raven's vital signs quickened at the mention of her husband.  Her eyes sprang open, and she feebly nodded her head.  "Y-yes..." she croaked.

In Ten Forward, Luna and Orion watched as the battle raged outside.  Federation ships had answered the call for assistance in droves, and were relentlessly pounding the Borg cube.  "These species have perfected energy beams, much like our magic," Luna mused.  "Seemingly as destructive as an alicorn's full power."

"Maybe someday, the Federation can incorporate pony magic into their arsenal," Orion agrees, sipping his fifth cup of tea. The intercom broke his thoughts. "Medical bay to Ten Forward: Orion Shadow, please report to the medical bay." Surprised, Orion looks up. "Raven must be awake!" he says excitedly. "I'll be back, Luna!" And he canters off toward the med bay, visibly happier.

Guinan comes over after Orion leaves, and sits down with Luna.  She sips a beverage and asks, "So, tell me ... how did a race as intelligent as yours get involved with Q, or as you know him, Discord?"

* * *

Orion is met by Doctor Crusher as he enters sickbay.  "She's doing better, but we still haven't removed all of the Borg hardware yet.  We're waiting for her condition to improve a bit more before we attempt surgery.  She's anxious to see you."

Raven smiles weakly as Orion approaches her bedside.  "My train took a bit of a detour," she said jokingly, "hope you weren't too worried..."

"Just a little," Orion says with a smile, kissing her cheek. "But now you're safe, and that's what counts." He runs a hoof through her mane comfortingly. "And yes, I know... I was there. Ish. Long story."

Raven chuckles softly.  "Whenever you say that, I know it's gonna involve that 'timey-wimey' stuff you keep mentioning."  She takes his hoof in hers.  "Thank you for coming for me.”

Orion smiles and kisses her nose. "You're my world," he reminds. "Why wouldn't I?" Then outside, the cube explodes in a blaze of magical light. "Well. That puts an end to the Borg menace, I suppose. Finally."

"Bridge to Data, status report," Riker's voice called over the intercom.

"I believe I have a way to lower the Borg defenses, Commander. I am transmitting the code now along one of their lesser secured communication channels."  Data studied the readout intensely.  "Their systems are down but not for long, Commander."

* * *

"Acknowledged, Data," Commander Riker said.  "Now, before they can react, fire torp--"

Before Riker could finish the command, a bolt of brilliant blue and purple shot out from the ship, striking the cube dead center.  The other ships in the area began evasive maneuvers as the cube began to glow, turning as bright as the nearby sun, before finally exploding.

"What the hell was that?!" exclaimed Riker.

* * *

In Ten Forward, Luna sipped at her cherry limeade, her horn smoking slightly.  Guinan stared at her in a mixture of awe and disbelief.  "And that, dear miss Guinan, is what an alicorn can do when her subjects are threatened."

* * *

“Captain's log, stardate 46897.4.  The Enterprise has returned to the planet Equus to return the two rulers and their citizens to their world.  The Borg threat to this sector has, for the moment, been neutralized, although no person, or pony, is forthcoming with the details."

Seated in the captain's ready room, Celestia, Luna, Orion, Raven, and Captain Picard all partake of an afternoon tea.  "And just speaking its name produces such an exquisite product?" Celestia asked in awe.  

"Indeed, Your Highness," Picard replied, setting his cup down.  He motioned to a tray of cucumber sandwiches.  "These are traditionally served on our world at high tea.  Please, help yourself."

"Funny," Orion comments idly as he takes a sandwich, "The same thing happens in Trottingham. If I didn't know better, I'd say our two worlds have more similarities than most can imagine. But maybe I'm overthinking things." He sips from his tea, "What do you think, Raven? Am I mad?"

"Of course you are, dear, I've known that since the first day I met you."  Raven giggles and gives Orion a wink.

"Captain, given the similarities between our worlds, I would like to ask if the Federation would like to enter into an alliance with us?" Celestia queried.  "And if they accept, I would like to appoint Orion and Raven as our ambassadors of goodwill to facilitate such a happening."

Picard thought for a moment.  "Yes, I believe such an alliance would be an excellent idea.  Allow me to contact my superiors in Starfleet once we finish here, I should have an answer within a few hours."

Orion just about, but not quite, spits out his earl grey. "Ambassadors? Raven and I? To..." His eyes widen, "That's... that's a big step, Princess... I... we..." He looks to Raven again, "We'll have to think on this, won't we?" He pours himself another cup of tea. "-I- would certainly like it... but what do you think, dearest?"

Raven is almost, if not more, stunned about the announcement than Orion is.  "From magician to ambassador?  That's ... that's quite a big step.  I ... I think it would be great to be able to learn about so many other cultures and places, so yes,  I'd love to do it.  But ... are you sure we're the right ones for the job?"

"My sister would not have said so had she any doubts in your abilities.  Also, your prior contacts with this Federation give you an edge over our diplomatic corps," Luna replied, addressing both Raven and Orion.  "Seeing how both of you handled this latest threat to yourselves, and to our world, leaves us no doubt that you are the only choices for this position."

"Then we accept," they say in unison, turning to Luna and smiling. "For the good of our world, and theirs," Orion adds.

"Splendid!" Celestia said, smiling broadly.  "Captain, we thank you and your crew for their hospitality and assistance in this matter. I believe it is time we returned home.  You will notify us of the decision by your Starfleet, yes?"

"I will be sure to do so once I have the answer.  Mister Data will escort you to the transporter room," Picard said, rising from his seat.  "It has been a pleasure to meet the both of you, and I look forward to more pleasant encounters in the future."

“As do I, Captain, as do I." Celestia shakes the captain's hand, smiling warmly.

Once the Sisters have left, Picard addresses Orion. “I believe we can accommodate you for a while ... at least, long enough to have you learn to pilot a ship of your own."  Picard smiles.  "We are outfitting a runabout to better suit your unique biological needs, and after some flight instruction, you will be free to explore on your own, or pilot her to a planet of your choosing to spend the rest of your days if that is your preference."

"Does she have a name?" he asks, thinking of something. "I'd like to see her once she's ready."

"She has a number now rather than a name ... since it would be your ship, you should give it a name.  We will give you the grand tour once she's about ready."  Picard smiled broadly.  "Q has been quite the booster for you, Orion.  He even went before the Federation to allow you this opportunity.  I must say, he seems to care deeply about you and your species."

Orion laughs a little at that, "Discord is a good fellow... he wasn't always, but the magic of friendship straightened him out." He smiles to Raven, "I think we're ready. We have a lot to do!"

"Take some time to recover and explore the ship.  Any of the crew would be pleased to show you around and answer your questions.  We can begin flight training in the holodeck once you feel you're ready to begin.  For now, I must return to the bridge. I will send someone to show you to your quarters."  Picard bows slightly and exits sickbay.

* * *

A short time later, Orion and Raven are in their quarters, the foals gazing out the windows, literally starstruck at the vast expanse of space. Their foals play quietly in a corner of the room. Raven hugs her husband tight.  "What do you think it will be like out there, Orion?" she asks.

"I haven't the foggiest idea love," Orion says with a smile, adjusting his bow tie. "But with you and our foals, I'm ready for anything."


	3. Generations: Part 1

Five whole years had passed since Orion’s hooves had last touched the grass of Equestria. It had been seven years since a chance meeting with a humanoid android had catapulted himself and Raven from their quiet life and into a brave new universe, full of wonders and terrors in equal measure. And now, at last, he was home. The “Welcome Back Orion From Your Amazing Space Adventure” party thrown by Pinkie Pie had gone off without a hitch, and while Orion and Raven had enjoyed themselves immensely, there was somepony he thought was missing.

Orion trotted alone through the cemetery, wearing his normal outfit of a tweed jacket and bowtie. The passage of time and the duties of command had aged him, and he was no longer quite as sprightly as he had been. After a few more minutes of walking, he found what he was looking for: the grave for his best friend, Longhaul Hoofer. Not much was there, just his name, and his dates of birth and death. Orion placed a small flower at the edge of the headstone and spoke softly. “I’m home, old friend… I missed you during my travels. My only wish was that you were there to see them.” He closed his eyes, looking unhappy.

From behind him came the sound of wings, and then hooves landing on the grass. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into a familiar blue muzzle and a pair of teal eyes. He smiled. “You heard me, Luna?”

Luna giggled softly and playfully booped Orion’s muzzle with her hoof. “But of course we heard thee, dear Orion. Thou art our dearest friend, after all.” She trotted away from the stone and flapped her wings, “Fly with us, there is something we must share with thee. We trust that thou knowest the spell?”

“Of course!” Orion said, and his horn flared to life. A set of bat wings sprung into view a few moments later, and off they flew.

* * *

Luna and Orion landed outside the former’s balcony, and then she led him into a part of the castle that had remained undisturbed for a great many years. Inside there was a bedroom, and on the bed rested a grey earth pony that Orion would find very familiar.

Orion gaped, unable to process what he was seeing, “But… how can this be, Luna? I saw him die!”

Luna nodded, and jerked her head to the sleeping Longhaul. “All was not as it seemed, Orion. The changelings had invaded too swiftly for our agent in the field to escape safely. So a decoy was made and put into service. Twas the decoy who died in the cell that day, not he.”

"But why not tell me sooner?" Orion asked, hurt.

Luna placed a calming hoof on his shoulder. “It was best for national security that you were not informed that Longhaul survived. To the changelings, Longhaul was still a wanted criminal for the actions that his decoy performed at our behest.  Had he been spotted outside of these walls, he would have been a target for the changelings, who still had spies everywhere in Equestria.”  She walked over and stroked Longhaul's mane with a wingtip, eliciting a happy mumble from Longhaul.

“But – but you could have told me!  You know I wouldn't have spilled a secret like that to anypony!” Orion protested.

“Your dealings with the changelings put you at great risk for imprisonment and torture.  While we do not doubt your abilities to hold secrets under duress, it was best to be safe and not have this information lurking in your mind, where it could be accessed with simple mind-reading spells.” She draped a wing over Orion.  “This was not an easy deception for us, dear Orion.  We would have love to have seen you rejoice that your friend was still alive and safe.  The time then was not right for such a revelation.  We hope you will understand, and forgive us.”

Orion is quiet for a while, but eventually he wraps his hooves around Luna's neck, hugging her close. "I forgive you, Luna," he says softly. Longhaul slept on, unaware.

* * *

Time went on, as it always did. Orion became Starfleet’s advisor, overseeing their activities as they tried to establish themselves in his beloved country. One afternoon, a letter arrived from Canterlot, summoning himself and Raven immediately. They quickly caught the first train out of town, and were in the royal palace within a couple hours.

When they arrived, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stood in the entrance hall, along with Princess Twilight and Princess Emerald. “Thank you all for coming,” Princess Celestia began, nodding to the four Ponyvillians. “My sister and I have summoned you for a very important reason, though I should stress it is also entirely voluntary. None of you will be required to undergo what we are about to ask of you, should you be uncomfortable.” She gestured to Luna. “Would you like to continue?”

Luna nodded, and began to speak. “We have been cooperating with Starfleet to find a way to preserve the best and brightest Equestria has to offer. Because it is simply not possible to send all four of you on further missions in space, other methods have been discussed. The solution we have come to is called cloning. Is anypony familiar with this process?”

Emerald raised a hoof, “Before I left Earth, a couple had recently adopted two puppies cloned from their deceased dog,” she said. 

Luna nodded, “That is more or less what we plan to do. Clones are organisms produced asexually from one ancestor or stock, to which they are genetically identical. What this means is that by the time the process is completed, there will be one clone for each of you around, for you to raise as you would your own foals. But there will be one caveat: these clones will not be fully equine, as you four are. Instead, they will be half equine, and half human.”

Raven blinked.  "Wait, you mean we're going to create a race of centaurs?" she asked.

Luna chuckled. "Not quite. Princess Emerald, if you wouldn't mind..." 

Emerald blushed, "Of course not, Luna." She teleported a photograph of herself taken the last time she and Twilight visited Canterlot High, "They'll probably look just like this," she says. "Human bodies, but pony skin colors, and presumably traces of Equestrian magic." She showed another picture of Sunset and her friends in their pony hybrid forms, "Like this. Pretty cool, huh?"

"That's ...actually pretty neat. I'm in, how about you, Orion?" Raven said, looking at Orion with her patented cute expression.

Orion just about melts at that face, then smiles. "Of course I'm in! I have a reputation to uphold." Then he thinks of something. "Why humans? We managed pretty well, didn't we?" he asks, gesturing to himself and Raven. "I assume it must be a strategic thing."

"My sister and I have heard of your difficulties at the beginning of your Starfleet adventure," Celestia said, "and it was decided that perhaps the humans would be more accepting of us if we were to take on a more humanoid appearance.  It might make their dealing with other species easier as well."

Orion nods. "That seems fair to me. I have but one request."

"What might that be?" asked Luna.

"I want my clone to be female," Orion says plainly. "Starfleet's top command, the majority of the Enterprise's crew, they were all males. If there is one thing I've learned in my travels, it's that Starfleet is in sore need of a feminine touch." 

Emerald embraces Orion and hugs the stuffing out of him, "That's what I like to hear! Gender equality for all!"

"'Tis a fair request, and one we are happy to accommodate.  Does anypony else have a request?" Luna asked, scanning the room.

Raven puts up her hoof, "Somepony should get Longhaul in on this," she says. "It's only fair."

Celestia nods, "We shall contact him in due course. Is there anything more?" Nopony raises their hooves. 

"I believe that's that," Twilight says with a smile, as she and Emerald link hooves. "What happens now?"

"Now, we take your DNA and combine it with the DNA of a human," says Luna. "If you would each provide a sample, we can begin at once."

Everypony nods, and extracts a single hair follicle from each of their coats. Luna collects them and places them in a bag. “Thank you, all of you,” she says with a smile. “You have done Equestria proud, Rest well tonight, we shall let you know when the embryos are ready.”

The group nods, and they trot together toward the various rooms that have been set aside for them.

* * *

“I think we’ve been in this room before,” Raven comments as she and Orion enter their suite. “Back when the changelings took over.” 

Orion nods, “I thought it looked familiar..” He flops down on the bed, bouncing a little. “It’s just as comfortable as I remember!”

Raven flops down beside him, her hooves in the air. “This is so amazing… I wonder what human me will look like,” she says.

“Probably as beautiful as you,” Orion says with a smile, nuzzling her. “We’ll find out in the morning. Goodnight, Raven.”

Raven smiles and kisses Orion’s nose, “Sleep tight, Orion.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Twilight and Emerald remove their respective royal vestments as they prepare for bed. “Just imagine… clones of us! And humans at that, just like the ones on the other side of the mirror!”

“And ours to raise,” Twilight says with a smile. “I think we’ll be lovely mothers, don’t you?”

Emerald nods, “Absolutely.” She happily flaps her wings and gives Twilight a hug, "See you in the morning, Sparks."

Twilight smiles and returns the hug, "Sweet dreams, Emmy."

* * *

The following morning, Raven, Emerald, and Twilight are called down to the castle's hospital wing. Nurse Redheart is there, with four embryos and three tubes all resting on a tray. She smiles at them, "Good morning, ladies," she says. "The work you're doing today is incredibly important, you are ensuring the future of Equestria as we become a spacefaring race, and a full-fledged member of the United Federation of Planets." 

Redheart points a hoof toward the first dish, "This, Lady Raven, is Orion's clone. As requested, his DNA has been combined with that of a human female." Her hoof moves to the second dish, "This one will be yours, and the last two are for Princess Emerald and Princess Twilight." 

Redheart places her hoof back on the ground. "Our research tells us that human gestation periods are usually a couple months shorter than they are for ponies. But because the fully-formed fetus is so different to what we're used to, these tubes-" She points to them, "have been enchanted with a spell that will change your uteruses to something more typical for humans for the duration of the pregnancy. Are you ready?"

The three mares nod solemnly. "Ready," they say at once.

Redheart nods and summons one of her assistants, a unicorn. "Then we'll begin."

* * *

The following nine months were some of the longest any of the four volunteers had ever experienced, especially for Raven, since she was carrying not just her clone, but Orion's too. The fetuses appeared to be developing normally, but by the end of the eighth month, none of the mares could move very much.

Finally, the due date came. All three mares felt their water break within hours of each other, and all three were rushed to Ponyville General Hospital for delivery. Orion stood beside Raven's bed, cheering her on. After a tense several hours, the new babies were finally delivered.

Raven held two small baby humans in her hooves. One had grey skin that was the same color as Orion's fur and a few tufts of his brown mane. The other had light lavender skin, just like Raven's fur, and a few tufts of her black and dark purple mane.

Orion ran a hoof gently down their bodies, smiling. "They're beautiful," he said quietly. "I love them."

"Me too," Raven agreed. "What do we call them?"

"Raven for yours," Orion said, "And then... Gemini. Yes... Gemini."

"I like it," Raven (the pony) giggled.

* * *

Across the hall, Emerald and Twilight were each holding their respective clones in amazement. "They look like... Well, us! Whenever we go through the mirror!" Emerald said. 

"I know!" Twilight gushed. "They're gorgeous!"

“We’re naming them after us, right?” Emerald asked. 

Twilight nodded, “It seemed the logical thing to do.”

* * *

The Royal Sisters were busy holding a rare joint session of court when a Royal guardspony entered the room, saluted, and spoke quickly: "Your Majesties! The archaeology team from Luna University has returned from the Badlands!"

"Send them in at once," ordered Luna. "This session of court is adjourned! Night court will follow at the usual time!" The remaining petitioners groaned and left. Replacing them was a small group of six ponies, led by a curly-maned mare with a question mark on her flank. Luna smiled. "Good afternoon, Professor Song."

The new ponies bowed as the indicated mare spoke, "Good afternoon, your Majesties. You won't believe what we've found!" Two of the other ponies withdrew a wooden box, and opened it. Inside were six scales, like those from a dragon. Two were purple, two were blue, and two were yellow.

Celestia and Luna both gasped. "Could it be?" asked Celestia in amazement.

Professor Song nodded, "They certainly are. The final remains of the ancient sirens, known as Adagio, Sonata, and Aria."

"Prior to their banishment by Starswirl," finished Luna. "Astounding..." She took one of the scales in her magic and turned it around. "Sister, you don't suppose we could use these, don't you?"

"Use them?" asked one of the other ponies, who was known as Proper Dave.

Luna nodded. "We have recently begun a cloning program with the cooperation of Starfleet. What I am wondering is whether or not we can clone the sirens of old and perhaps reform them."

Professor Song chuckled. "Orion is involved in this, isn't he?"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

Professor Song just laughed, "Spoilers, Princess."

Luna grumbled, but was calmed by the touch of Celestia's hoof on her shoulder. "Thank you for presenting your discovery," she said. "We shall take one scale each from the three sirens, the remainder may be displayed at the Museum of Natural History."

“As you wish,” Professor Song replied, and gave to the princesses the remaining scales before taking their own share away.

* * *

The experiments seemed to go fairly well. The process itself was unchanged, though the source DNA was, of course, highly experimental. A letter was sent to Orion’s residence in Ponyville, asking him to vet potential candidates to bear, and become parents to, the three new clones. 

The day of the meeting came. Celestia and Luna were seated in their respective thrones, and the candidates were shown into the room, both were dressed elegantly. One was a grey-furred earth mare with a black mane and tail with a purple treble clef on her flank, while the other was a white unicorn mare with an electric blue mane and tail. She had a reversed two-eighths note on her flank, and wore purple glasses that covered her eyes.

“Lady Octavia Melody and Lady Vinyl Scratch, your majesties,” announced the guard helpfully, as the two mares bowed.

Celestia smiled. “It is good to see you both again, ladies. I assume Sir Orion has briefed you on the situation?”

Octavia rose, smiling gracefully. “He has, your highness, and we accepted almost at once, didn’t we Vinyl?”

Vinyl grinned broadly, “Buck yeah, we did! Those new foals of his were awesome looking, I can’t wait to have three of our own running around the place!”

Octavia gave a long-suffering sigh, “Excuse my wife, she has a tendency to be… shall we say, uncouth.”

Vinyl smirks. “Tavi, you think everything is uncouth. You’re like that Rarity chick, only more so.”

“Steering ourselves back on topic,” said Luna, “The embryos are prepared, but they must be placed in a womb for them to grow. In deciding to take them on, you will become the parents of the babies when they are born. I cannot stress enough that this is a very serious undertaking, as well as physically intensive. Are you both sure you wish to do this?”

Octavia nodded, “We discussed this at length last night.. and we think we will be up to the challenge you have set before us.”

Luna nodded, satisfied. “Very well. Guards, kindly show these mares to their dormitory, we shall call for them in the morning.”

The guards ponies nodded and led the two musicians out of the throne room.

* * *

Nine months went by for Vinyl and Octavia as well. Their due dates were, as luck would have it, just a few weeks after those of the original four, and the delivery process went about as well. Vinyl and Octavia named their new children Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk, unaware that those same names had once belonged to the sirens of antiquity.

Gem, Raven, Twilight, Emerald, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata grew, watched over by their parents and raised like sisters. When the time came for them to start school, they attended the same class, taught by none other than Sweetie Belle, who had ascended to that role after Cheerilee’s retirement. On that first day, a whole crowd of Ponyville foals lined up at the door, with the seven humans bringing up the rear. 

“Well well well, wouldja look at that,” said a voice. A young earth filly with pink-grey fur trotted into view, moving with practiced grace that reminded Gem of her father. Her name was Rose Gold. “The freaks that my moms told me about,” continued the filly. “I don’t even know what you are! Not ponies, I guess. Some kinda monkey?”

“Leave us alone,” spat Raven, her fingers balling up into a fist. “We ain’t scared of you, are we girls?” The other six shook their heads, but Gem placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Raven, come on… don’t take the bait. It’s only the first day!”

“Not fighting, are we girls?” asked Sweetie Belle from the schoolhouse doorway. 

Gem quickly shook her head, “No ma’am, not at all! We were just having… a disagreement.”

Sweetie Belle nodded, “I’ll let you all off with a warning this time, but if it happens again I’ll have to tell your parents.” Everyone nodded, even the bully. The school bell rang at that moment, and Sweetie smiled. “Come on in, we have a lot of learning to do!”

The school day went fairly normally from there. Gem and her friends took seats in the back, and answered questions when they could. This only provided Rose Gold with more fuel to bully them with. At lunchtime, as everypony else grabbed everything from pails to paper bags to lunch boxes from the cloakroom, the girls took out each of their lunches from their backpacks and began to eat. Gem’s lunch that day was a cheese and bologna sandwich, some fruit, a bottle of milk, and a cookie. As she ate, the smell of the bologna wafted through the room, and everypony’s muzzles wrinkled instinctually.

“Eeeeew, what is that stench?” asked Rose Gold, before pointing a hoof at Gem’s sandwich and exclaiming, “Oh look, it’s the ape girl’s lunch!”

“I have to eat this!” Gem says, raising her hands defensively. “I’m an omnivore!”

“An omni-what?” asked somepony else.

“An omnivore eats plants and meat,” defined Sweetie Belle.

“Always the dictionary,” said Scootaloo the athletic coach, who was passing by.

Rose Gold spoke again, “Omnivores are weird! Ape girls are weird!”

“Rose Gold!” said Sweetie reprovingly. “That’s enough!”

Raven grabbed Gem’s hand, “Come on sis, let’s go outside.” Gem nodded, and the seven girls got up and went out to eat. They picked a picnic bench not far by the playground. “I really wish we lived somewhere else,” Gem was saying as they went. “I don’t belong here, Rara. None of us do, and you know it!” She held out her arm, and wiggled her fingers. “You see this? You, me, Twi, Emmy, Dagi, Ari, and Sona don’t belong here. I mean, just look at us.” She stared wistfully at the clear blue sky, and sighed. “I wish we lived where there were people like us,” she said. “It’s lonely here otherwise.”

Raven sighed and wrapped her fingers around Gem’s, “I know you do, Gemmy,” she said. “But we have to finish growing up first. Someday, we’ll be with our own… but right now, we’re with the ponies. We just have to make the best of it.”

Twilight nodded in agreement, pushing her glasses up her nose with a finger. “What are we gonna do about Rose Gold?” she asked. “She’s only gonna keep teasing us!”

Adagio nodded in agreement, “She’s not going to be happy until she makes one of us cry.”

“Tell our folks,” Emerald suggested. “She wouldn’t be stupid enough to mess with the kids of two princesses, two nobles, and two famous musicians, would she?”

“I hope not,” Gem groaned, putting her face in her hands.

As Gem spoke, a bright yellow filly with a red and yellow mane and tail cantered up to them. “Hi!” she squeaked. “My name’s Sunset Shimmer! I’ve never seen creatures like you before! What are you called? What are your names?”

Gem looked up and smiled at the filly, giving her a hug, “My name’s Gemini,” she said, “This is my sister Raven, and our cousins Twilight, Emerald, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. We’re humans.”

“Technically merponies!” Sonata chimed in. Aria shushed her.

“Do all humans look like you?” Sunset asked, tilting her head. “‘Cause you look like ponies! Sorta. Especially you two!” She pointed at Twilight and Emerald, “You look like the princesses!”

“Come to the Friendship Palace later today,” suggested Twilight, “And we’ll tell you all about us!”

“Okay!” Sunset beamed and bounced on her hooves. “Want to play?”

“Sure!” chorused the girls, and off they went to join Sunset on the playground, leaving their lunches behind.

* * *

After school, the girls walked to their respective homes to drop off their stuff prior to a sleepover that night at the palace. As Gem and Rara walked through the front door of Shadowfall, Orion and Raven were there to greet them.

Orion smiled warmly and hugged each of his daughters close. "Welcome home, dear girls," he said. "How was school?"

Gem sighed and looked at the floor. "Kind of rough," she said finally. "I learned a lot, but..."

"There was a filly who kept bullying us," said Rara. "Do you know anypony named Rose Gold, Dad?"

Orion looked dismayed. "Sadly, yes... I believe she's the daughter of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon."

"That explains it," said Gem glumly. "Only one pony would be able to think of a name like Ape Girls." She sighed, "What do we do?"

"Exactly what you did," Raven said, placing a hoof on Gem's shoulder. "You told an adult, and now we can help you." She wraps her daughter in her forelegs and hugs her close. "I'm very proud of you, Gemini. You were a good girl today."

Gem smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

An hour later, Sunset Shimmer trotted up to the Friendship Palace, carrying her saddlebags. Inside were all the things a young filly needed for a sleepover! Especially a sleepover with her new friends! Bouncing happily, she rapped on the front doors with a hoof and waited.

A dark green magic aura pulled the door open, and Emerald Wave turned to smile at the little filly on the other side. "Hey there Sunny," she said with a smile, pulling Sunset into a wing-hug. "Whatcha up to?"

"I'm here for the sleepover, Princess Emerald!" Sunset said, throwing up her forelegs. "Gem and Twi and Raven and the other Emerald said I could come!"

"Then it will be a pleasure to have you join us," said Princess Twilight, as she strode over to the doorway. "Come on in!"

Emerald led the filly inside and closed the door behind her, then said "The girls are in Twitwi's room. Upstairs, third door on the right!"

"Thanks Princess!" Sunset squeaked, and she raced off to join her new friends.

Meanwhile, Gem and her friends were busy preparing all the things they would need for a sleepover. Their pyjamas were on, and right now they were inspecting the supplies of snacks that they had all brought with them, everything from chocolate bars to fruit snacks to soda, juice, and popcorn. 

"Looks like we got an awesome haul," Emmy said happily, sitting beside Twilight on her bed.

Raven nodded in agreement, then asked "Ya got the goods?"

Emerald nodded, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a stack of what would be known on Earth as VHS tapes. 

Twilight beamed, "Excellent work, Emmy!"

"No prob! Half of these are from Mom's Earth stuff, and the other half are from that new video rental place in town, next to Quills and Sofas." Emerald leaned back, her hands behind her head. 

Just then, a knock came at the door. "Lemme in! It's Sunset!"

Gem, who was closest, got to her feet and pulled open the door. "Hello Sunset! I'm glad you could make it!"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Sunset said, hugging Gem around the neck. "What are we gonna do, girls?"

"Probably watch a few movies, eat a bunch of candy until we get sick, gossip, things like that," said Emerald, counting things off on her fingers. Sunset watched with fascination. "Whoa... They're like griffon claws! Only less furry and softer!" She touched Emerald's hand with a hoof, amazed.

Twilight giggled, "Those are called fingers," she said. "All humans have them."

"What else do humans have that ponies don't?" Sunset wondered. 

"We could show you!" Emerald suggested. "Do you have that book still, Twi?"

Twilight nodded, "Of course!" She rose and crossed the room to a large bookshelf, selected a book, and gave it to Sunset. "It's called Everything You Wanted to Know About Humans But Were Afraid to Ask. It should answer any questions you may have!"

Sunset beamed, "Thanks!" And without further ado, she opened the book with her magic and began to read vociferously.

* * *

The evening went on fairly easily. The eight females watched movies, ate snacks, and (in Sunset's case) continued to learn everything there was to know about humans. By midnight, Princess Emerald trotted past the room on her way to bed and peeked her head inside. "Everything okay in here?" She asked.

"We're good, Mom!" said the other Emerald.

Sunset had finished with the book by that point, and looked up at the alicorn inquisitively. "Princess Emerald, can you turn me into a human?"

There was a very long pause. Gem dropped the chocolate bar she was holding into Raven's jar of cookie butter, while Sonata’s half-eaten taco decided to land in Aria’s hair. Neither of them noticed.

"You want to be human?" asked Twilight, looking surprised as she adjusted her glasses, "Why?"

Sunset shrugged. "l guess because you all look so cool! And what your bodies can do! And... And..." She suddenly wilted, her ears lowering. "I... Don't really feel happy as a pony."

Princess Emerald sighed and wrapped the filly up in her hooves, hugging her. "I know how that feels," she said softly. "When I was little, I was a colt. After I grew up I became a mare, because I knew that being a mare made me happy." Her green eyes met Sunset's teal ones. "Will being a human make you happy?" She asked.

Sunset shrugged again. "I hope so."

Princess Emerald nodded. "I'll tell you what I'll do, Sunny. I'll turn you human for the next month or so, and we'll see how you feel at the end. You'll be pretty much indistinguishable from these four." She gestured with a hoof. "If you're sure this is what you want, Princess Twi and I will work on making it stick, okay?"

Sunset nodded and hugged Princess Emerald tight, "Thanks, Princess," she said.

Princess Emerald smiled. "My pleasure, Sunny. Now hold still." Her horn began to glow dark green. Sunset quickly got out of her grip and held still, her hooves planted firmly on the ground. Princess Emerald's magic focused to a beam, which she shot at Sunset, enveloping her in a green bubble.

Inside the bubble, Sunset began to transform. Her fur coat receded, shifting into skin that was the same color. Her muzzle flattened, her tail disappeared, her ears shifted, and she developed hands and feet rather than hooves. When the changes were done the bubble popped, and a fully formed human version of Sunset sat there, about the same age as the other girls.

Opening her eyes, Sunset began to run her hands over her body, fascinated. "Oh wow, this is amazing!"

"I'm glad I could help," Princess Emerald said with a smile. "Get some sleep, you five. Big day tomorrow!"

Everyone nodded and chorused, “Goodnight!"


	4. Generations: Part 2

Over the next week, word that one of Ponyville's own had willingly changed herself into a human spread like wildfire. Most of the reactions had been positive, since the citizens of Ponyville were very used to the sight of Gem and her friends by now. Some, however, were not so welcoming. Rose Gold had begun calling Sunset Ape Girl Number Five, despite the protests of Sunset's friends and the stern warnings from Miss Sweetie Belle.

Sunset, meanwhile, had adapted to human life surprisingly quickly. Not having parents of her own, she took up residence in Shadowfall, sleeping in one of the guest rooms until a proper bedroom for her was completed. Walking and using her hands rather than magic had proven to be a challenge at first, but guidance from her new friends quickly solved that, as did her initial distrust of a meat-based diet, particularly when she discovered that pony delicacies no longer agreed with her. By the end of the month, it was decided that she would remain human, and willingly forsake her pony form for good.

The start of September brought with it the beginning of magic lessons. The unicorns in the class would begin to learn basic levitation to start, and simple transfiguration spells. Princess Twilight, being the former Element of Magic, was brought in to help. The Pegasus ponies in the class would begin flying lessons, thanks to the assistance of Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, while the earth ponies would unlock the secrets of plant growth under the watchful eye of Apple Bloom and Applejack. The only group who didn't have anything to learn was, seemingly, the eight humans.

While Sweetie Belle led the unicorns in levitation drills, Princess Twilight took the girls over to a separate part of the classroom and trotted around them in a circle. "Before you seven were born," she began, mostly addressing the clones, "we knew that you would be mostly human with some equine traits... This appears to have manifested in your skin color. What we don't know is if you can use magic." She paused, tapping her chin with a hoof.

"I don't see why they can't," said Sweetie Belle, trotting over to join them while the unicorns took a break. "You told me about your mirror friends, and they can use magic too. Why can't these girls?"

"Good point, Sweetie," Twilight said, smiling a bit. "My Canterlot High friends could only use magic because they understood the power of friendship. These five appear to be getting along swimmingly, so it might just be possible for them to do the same!" She thought for a moment, then continued. "What we need is a spark, something to trigger the magic within them. I had Nightmare Moon, they had the Sirens... But what do they have?"

As Twilight spoke, Rainbow Dash flew over to the window nearest them and shouted, "Yo Twi, we got trouble! One of Doc's experiments broke free and is terrorizing the town!"

Twilight sighed. "Is it the gigantic metal pony who shouts 'Delete' and talks about assimilation, or the murderous salt-shaker?"

Scootaloo flew over to join them, "It's both this time!"

Twilight's eyes nearly burst from her skull. "Both?! Arrrrgh, I am  _so_  going to revoke that pony's doctorate when this is over..." Then she had an idea. Looking to Gem and her friends, who were listening intently, she asked "What do you think, girls? Want to save the town?" Five heads nodded eagerly, and Twilight grinned. "Excellent! Sweetie Belle, stay here and keep everypony inside!" She flew off, with Gem and the rest following along behind.

Central Ponyville was a hotbed of chaos. Ponies were running and screaming in every direction while groups of silver suited ponies marched through the streets, proclaiming "YOU WILL BECOME LIKE US. ALL EMOTIONS WILL BE DELETED. ALL EQUINES WILL BE UPGRADED. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE." At the same moment, squadrons of evil-looking pepperpots flew through the air, chorusing "EX-TERM-IN-ATE!" in harsh, staccato tones.

By Town Hall, the leader of each group appeared to be having an argument.

"Our species our similar, though your design is inelegant," said the silver pony.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," replied the pepperpot.

The Cyberpony acknowledged this and continued: "This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cyberponies plus Daleks. Together, we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?" asked the Dalek.

"This is correct," responded the Cyberpony, and it seemed to nod.

The Dalek's response was immediate. "Request denied!" It aimed its gunstick at a passing Cyberpony, who raised a metal hoof and intoned: "Hostile elements will be deleted!"

"Exterminate!" shouted the Dalek, firing its gun. A blue laser shot out from the end and hit the Cyberpony, making it explode.

The Cyberleader turned to face the Dalek. "Daleks, be warned. You have declared war upon the Cyberponies."

"This is not war! This is pest control!" shouted the Dalek.

The Cyberleader seemed unfazed. "We have five million Cyberponies. How many are you?"

The Dalek considered this. "Four."

"You would destroy the Cyberponies with four Daleks?" asked the Cyberpony, as incredulous as a robot can be.

"We would destroy the Cyberponies with one Dalek!" explained the Dalek. "You are superior in only one respect!"

"What is that?" asked the Cyberpony.

"You are better at dying!" shouted the Dalek, and it prepared to shoot the Cyberpony, at least until Princess Twilight exclaimed, "Hold it right there, you crazy maniac!"

The Dalek seemed to stop and swivelled its eyestalk to face the purple alicorn, "This female registers as an enemy! She will be exterminated!"

"Leave our mom alone!" shouted the human Twilight and Emerald together, standing in front of the princess.

The Dalek fired its deadly beam, but Gem quickly shouted "Hold hands, everyone!" Everyone did so, and the group (plus Princess Twilight) was protected by a large sphere of magic. The beam disintegrated harmlessly. 

"What is the meaning of this disturbance?!" the Dalek screamed.

Gem grinned, "Something you will never understand! The magic of friendship!" On cue, the eight girls rose into the air, grew pony ears, and their hair extended to resemble tails. Then a wave of magic blew across town, destroying each metallic monster it came in contact with.

After a few minutes, the dust settled. Princess Twilight was bouncing around like a school filly. "It worked it worked it worked it worked! You can use magic after all!" 

The gathered girls looked at one another in surprise, "That explains the ears," Raven said, pointing at Gem's.

"Quick! Try levitating something!" said Princess Twilight.

Sunset took up the challenge and pointed a finger at a nearby bucket, which rose into the air effortlessly. "So we channel magic through our hands instead of our horns," she realized. "That's amazing!"

"This means you can join the unicorns," said Sweetie Belle, who had come to see what all the commotion was about. "Wonderful work, girls!" And so the group headed back to the schoolhouse, talking animatedly.

Since the weather was nice, the afternoon was spent by the lake on the edge of town. The eight girls all dressed in bathing suits, custom made for them by Rarity since it was known that humans didn’t have the luxury of being able to go without clothes, as ponies did. With their parents watching, they ran, splashed, and played, having a grand old time, except of course for the youngest ones.

“Come oooon Dagi, play with us!” shouted Sunset, gazing at the yellow-skinned girl. She pointed at Aria and Sonata, “And that goes for you two, too!”

“But we can’t swim!” Sonata called back. “I think… that’s what Mom always said.”

Aria sighed, “No, what Mama Octavia always said was to not get immersed in water if we could avoid it,” she said testily. “Honestly Sona, you’re the worst!”

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re the worst Aria!” Sonata stuck out her tongue. 

Aria was about to reply when Adagio placed a hand over their mouths, “Hush, idiots,” she said. “We’ll go into the water and frolic like normal girls.”

“Fiiiiiine,” said Aria and Sonata together. 

Adagio grinned, and took a leap into the lake. As she was immersed in the water, her legs and torso quickly morphed into a fish’s tail. Her fingers became webbed, and she could feel scales crawling up her chest, stopping at the base of her neck. Adagio gasped, staring at her webbed hand, fish tail, and scales in surprise. “…What am I?” she asked, amazed.

“I think you’re half merpony!” said Twilight, swimming over to see what was going on, “Your current form sorta matches the one in my book, but not quite… since you’re also part human still.”

“What happens if I go underwater?” Adagio wondered. 

“Let’s find out!” Raven appeared suddenly like a shark and pushed Adagio into the lake’s depths.

Now underwater, Adagio struggled to breathe for a second or two until slits opened up on the sides of her face. Suddenly, she had gills! She swam around and around for several minutes, breathing the water as if it was air before finally coming back up. As she did so, the gills disappeared.

By now, the other girls (save for her fellow sirens) had gathered around and were staring at her in astonishment. “Whoa… you really are half fish!” Raven said. 

“Merpony,” said Gem and Twilight together. 

“Whatever!”

“I wanna try!” said Sonata, and she dove into the water too, with Aria close behind. In no time, their bodies transformed in a similar fashion to Adagio’s. All their fish parts, Adagio noted, matched their skin tones.

The girls played some more, with the sirens chasing each other around under water, or holding races while the five land-bound girls cheered them on. As the sun began to go down, Octavia proclaimed “Time to go home, girls!” All eight of them “Awwwwwww’d!” at once.

As they climbed back on to dry land, the sirens’ fish tails morphed back into human legs, and their scales became skin once more. The group trooped off toward their respective houses, promising to see each other tomorrow.

* * *

As the years went by, the girls continued to grow. As their classmates got their cutie marks, the girls remained what Rose Gold called "blank flanks," despite the fact that humans couldn't get cutie marks. But that wasn't the only difference the humans had with their pony schoolmates. As they entered puberty, they grew simply too tall to fit comfortably in the one-room schoolhouse, let alone beneath those tiny desks, and so it was decided that they would be taught in the Friendship Palace instead, by a rotation of ponies, usually their parents and Sweetie Belle.

Puberty, of course, brought other physical changes as well. When the eight girls all woke up one morning complaining of pain in their chests, a quick examination by Princess Twilight revealed one thing: "You're... well, maturing, both physically and mentally," she explained. "In human girls, this typically means such things as breast development or the beginnings of periods." When everyone looked at her as if she had grown two heads, she sighed and floated over a book. "This should explain things," she said. "Enjoy!"

The changes continued as time went by. The girls began to explore their shifting bodies, realizing how curvier and prettier they were becoming. Their moms began teaching them about makeup, and how best to present oneself in public. Princess Emerald handled this part, since she had been human once herself.

But the most striking change of all came in for Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. Though they had always been interested in music, learning to play an instrument had never interested them, they preferred to sing. As such, the Melody-Scratch house had been filled with the sounds of caterwauling as the three practiced whenever they could. Over time however, their voices began to change, becoming more melodic. By the time puberty had finished its work, all three were not only able to sing, but enchant their listeners with their music.

The fateful night came, appropriately enough, on the first Nightmare Night after their voices had finished developing. A party was being held at the Friendship Palace, and everypony was dancing the night away in costume to the sounds of Vinyl and Octavia.

During a brief intermission, the eight girls (who had formed a band called the Rubies just for the occasion) took the stage. The three sirens stood at the center of the group, wearing elaborate outfits. Surrounding them were Twilight, Emerald, Gem, Raven, and Sunset, wearing what Rarity had called "Gothic chic." Additionally, everyone was wearing pendants with red gemstones that glowed in the dark. Raven and Sunset were holding electric guitars, Gem and Twilight were positioned behind keyboards, and Emerald sat behind a drum set. She counted them down: "1, 2, 3, 4!" Then the band began to play, with Adagio taking lead vocals. The crowd stopped dancing and swayed in time to the hypnotic beat, with some of them even beginning to drool. Green mist created by some dry ice and food coloring filled the air. At the end of the song, Adagio gave an evil laugh and proclaimed, "Happy Nightmare Night, Ponyville! We are the Rubies, and we hope you have enjoyed the show!" Everypony clapped loudly, whooping and hollering.

* * *

Two years had passed since that performance on Nightmare Night. The girls had all turned eighteen by then, and their schooling (such as it was) had finally finished. The eight of them now sat in Gem’s room at Shadowfall, discussing where to go from there.

“We simply can’t stay here much longer,” Gem was saying. “It’s like what I kept saying when we were little, we simply don’t belong here. We might be able to use magic, but… well, look at us. We’re too big to fit in most buildings now.”

“So what you’re saying is, we have to go off-planet,” Adagio said. “And I agree with you. We’re eight humans in a town full of ponies, we simply don’t work.”

“But where can we go?” Raven asked.

“The only place there is,” Gem said, as if the answer was obvious. “Earth. And from there, Starfleet.”

Raven stared at her. “Gem, are you crazy? We can’t go there! Look at us!” She thrust her lavender hand in her sister’s face, “We wouldn’t even fit in among other humans! My skin is purple, yours is grey, Dagi’s is yellow, Sonata’s is blue! We’re freaks no matter where we go!”

“But at least with Starfleet, they’re used to aliens,” Twilight pointed out. “We’ve all heard about your parents’ adventures, Raven. They’re not going to turn their noses up at a bunch of humanoid ponies. Or merponies.”

“Besides, where else are we going to go?” Sunset said, drumming on her knees with her fingertips. “Your dad’s got connections, after all. He could get us in at the Academy no problem.”

Raven sighed, then finally huffed and blew a few locks of hair out of her face. “Oh fine,” she said. “Starfleet it is… to boldly go where no girl has gone before, etcetera etcetera…”

* * *

That evening, Orion came to a decision. Trotting over to his closet, he moved aside various outfits until he came across the red and black tunic he had worn during his time aboard the USS Shadowfall. The communicator badge was still pinned to the lapel. Chuckling, he slipped it on, and went to go contact an old friend of his.

An hour or so later, a balding man wearing a black and grey jacket with a red collar materialized in Orion’s backyard. Orion was waiting by the patio table, with a pot of earl grey and two cups. Seeing his friend, he smiled and saluted. “Good evening, Captain Picard.”

Picard smiled and chuckled warmly, sitting down beside the unicorn. He’d gotten older since Orion had last seen him, and vice versa. “You’ve aged well, Captain Shadow,” he replied. “It’s good to see you again. Please, call me Jean-Luc.”

“Only if you call me Orion,” said Orion, smiling more. “I haven’t been the captain of anything in years.” He poured them both some tea and sipped from his cup gently. “It’s good to see you again too… still exploring new worlds, I assume?”

Picard shakes his head. "Not anymore, I retired some years ago. I now serve Starfleet as the ambassador to Vulcan," Picard responded. “Anyway, to business… why precisely did you ask for me?”

Orion smiled, “Well, it’s a bit of a long story…” And he told Picard of the extensive cloning program the Sisters had begun, and the many clones he, Raven, and their friends had been raising.

Picard smiled a little, “I’d like to meet your clone, if I may,” he says. “If she is as like you as you say, I’m sure we shall get along splendidly.”

“Of course!” Orion got to his hooves, “Excuse me.” He got up and peeked inside the house, “Gemini, could you come down to the backyard please? A friend of mine wants to see you!”

“Coming, Father!” said Gemini. She came downstairs in a matter of minutes, dressed simply in a pale blue sweater with grey leggings and black shoes.

Orion smiled, “Jean-Luc, this is my daughter Gemini. Gemini, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, formerly of the USS  _Enterprise_.”

Picard extended a hand, which Gem took. “A pleasure to meet you, m’lady,” he said. "Your father tells me you wish to join Starfleet?"

Gem nodded in confirmation, "That's correct, sir. Myself and my friends would be very much obliged if you would be so kind as to assist us."

Picard smiled. "Anything for a friend, Miss Gemini. I can have my ship take you to Earth by tomorrow, if you would like."

Gem nodded, "That would be lovely! I'll see you then!" And with a quick salute, she was gone.

Picard watched her go, and chuckled again. "Quite a chip off the old block, Orion... Literally and metaphorically. I do believe she will be one of the finest captains the Federation has ever seen." 

"You and me both, Jean-Luc. You and me both," Orion said, nodding in agreement.

* * *

The appointed day was a bittersweet one for all concerned. Pinkie's "Good Luck Gemini On Your Amazing Space Adventure" party had been a rousing success, and the baker had been kind enough to include enough sweet treats to last them all a good long time. For all of the girls, it was to be the last time they'd see their home world for quite a long time, and while Gem was eager to begin the next chapter of her life, it wouldn't be right to leave without a proper goodbye. So, after packing, the eight girls walked leisurely through town, taking it all in.

By the time the sun had begun to go down however, it was time to leave. Their bags had already been transported aboard the Enterprise, all that was left now was for the girls to depart. The Enterprise's first officer beamed down to collect them, and after a few introductions, the nine humans gathered on a quiet hillside, with Orion and Raven watching from a distance.

"Nine to beam up," said the first officer, until Gem raised a hand to stop him. "A moment, please, Commander..." she said, gazing across the hill. 

The first officer smiled, "Of course, Miss Gemini.”

Gem walked away from the group and toward her parents, bending down to hug them both. "I'll miss you both so much," she said softly, as the two elderly ponies hugged her back. 

"We'll miss you too," Raven said with a soft smile, running a hoof down her daughter's cheek. "But we know you have to go."

"Just remember this," Orion added. "However far away you are, no matter where in space or time you end up, we will -always- be with you. Right here." He placed a hoof on her heart. "We will always love you, Gemini Shadow. Make us proud."

"I will," Gem said, smiling and straightening up. 

Orion held up a hoof to stop her, and floated over a wooden box with his magic, which she took in her hands. "This is yours," he told her. "It's a magic screwdriver. It's like a unicorn horn. Charge it with enough magic and you can do pretty much all the things a unicorn horn can do. Any spell you'd ever need is right at your fingertips, all you have to do is push the button on the side." He opened the box, revealing [a blue and silver cylindrical tube](http://bit.ly/1UqADR5).

Gem took it in her hands and pressed the button experimentally. The blue lights at the top flicked on and off in a circle, and there came a buzzing noise. A small spark shot out of the end. "It works! Oh thank you!" She beamed, pocketing it.

Orion smiled, "You're welcome, dear girl." He rose onto his back legs and hugged her tight. "Come home sometime, won't you?"

"If I can," Gem says. "So long... for now." She hugged them again, then turned to go back to her friends, and the future beyond.


	5. A Wish Comes True

Gem had always dreamed about going into space. When she was little, her bedtime stories were all about her father’s adventures in space, seeing new things, meeting new people, and creating a space for Equestria in universal politics. And on her birthday, she always asked for the same thing: a trip aboard a starship. But every year, something always came up. One year, it was urgent business in Canterlot. Another year was the sudden death of Gem’s grandparents. The year after that, her goldfish died. Sometimes Orion was called away on important Starfleet business, making it impossible for her to go up altogether. 

On her tenth birthday, however, it seemed to go right after all. Orion took her aside to a secret room within the basement of the house. It was black with yellow gridlines on the floor, walls, and ceiling. 

“Where are we?” Gem asked, looking around in puzzlement. 

Orion smiled. “This is the holodeck... or something like it. It runs on magic, you see, I built it after the one on the Enterprise. The ship I served on no longer exists, of course, but here in this room, we can recreate it perfectly. Then it will be like you’re really there. What do you say?” 

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea!” Gem said happily, throwing her arms around Orion’s neck and hugging him. 

Orion hugged Gem back, nuzzling her cheek with his muzzle. “You’re very welcome, dear girl. Computer, run the Enterprise program.” 

Instantaneously, the Enterprise-D’s transporter room faded into view, complete with a shimmering effect as if they had just been beamed aboard. As the glow from the transporter faded, Gem gasped. Standing before her were two men, one man with dark hair and a beard, and another man with balding grey hair. The balding man smiled at her father and said, “Ah, Captain Shadow. Good to see you again.” 

Orion smiled and shook Picard’s hand warmly. “It’s good to see you too, Captain Picard, Commander Riker. Please allow me to introduce my daughter, Gemini.” 

Gem blushed and waved, “Hello sirs,” she said politely, curtseying.  
“Nice to meet you, Gemini,” Riker said, and the two other humans shook her hand. 

“I must admit, I’m surprised,” Picard said, as the group walked through the ship toward the conference room where the treaty was to be discussed. “I wasn’t aware equines could birth humans.” 

“It’s part of a cloning project Starfleet and the Princesses cooked up,” Orion explained. “Gem is my clone, like me in every respect except gender.” 

“She must be very smart then,” Riker said as they went. Turning to Gem, he asked “And how old are you, little lady?” 

“Ten, Mr. Riker,” Gem said promptly. “It’s my birthday!” 

Picard and Riker both smiled. “Happy birthday then,” Picard said. “Is this your first time aboard a starship?” 

Gem nodded some more. “I’ve always wanted to go, but there simply wasn’t time!” 

As they arrived at the conference room, Orion had an idea. “Suppose someone gives her a grand tour? It should keep her out of trouble for a few hours while we figure things out.” 

Picard nodded in agreement. “Excellent idea, Orion.” He spoke into his comm. badge: “Picard to Counselor Troi, we have a young guest in need of a tour of the Enterprise. Could you come down to Conference Room A and see to it please?” 

Deanna Troi’s voice was heard. “Certainly sir, I’ll be right over.” 

Gem walked alongside Troi, the Betazoid counselor happily answering as many of Gem’s questions as she possibly could. “Which parts of the ship would you like to see, and where would you like to start?” Troi asked. 

Gem thinks. "Dad said he worked with Mr. La Forge when he was here, can we go and visit him? And maybe the bridge, where all the exciting things happen?" 

Troi smiled. “Absolutely. Let’s start in Engineering.” The two walked to a turbolift and stepped inside, the doors closing behind them. 

One quick turbolift ride later, Gem found herself standing in Main Engineering. Crewmembers moved about, taking readings and checking displays. In the center of the room, standing almost as tall as the secondary hull itself, was the main warp engine. The engine thrummed in its own rhythm, while blue lights flashed along the entire length. 

Geordi LaForge spotted the two visitors and quickly made his way over. “Hi, Counselor,” he said cheerfully, “I see you brought along a tourist!” 

“Commander, this is Gemini Shadow, Orion’s daughter. She’s here for a birthday tour of the ship,” Troi said. 

“Well, happy birthday!” Geordi said, extending a hand. 

"Thank you!" Gem says brightly, shaking the offered hand. "So this is where my dad used to work... it's just as big as he said it would be!" She runs over to the engine itself and watches the lights flash, enraptured. "Wow!" 

“This is the main power source for the entire ship,” Geordie explained, “and it helps us travel through space to all of those different worlds your father told you about.” 

"It's enormous!" she exclaims, throwing her arms wide open. "What else do you do down here?" 

“We also control all of the ship’s important functions,” Geordie answered. “We’re responsible for repairing and maintaining just about everything that keeps the ship functioning. Everything from the main computers to the food replicators is all our responsibility.” 

"And speaking of the replicators," says a crewmember, "One of the ones on deck six is still offline, has been since yesterday. We've tried everything we can think of to fix it, but nothing doing." He looks down at Gem. "Unless you've got any bright ideas, little miss?" 

Gem thinks again, putting her fingers to her chin. "Let's see! Show me to this replicator thingy!"

* * *

Some minutes later, Gem's hands begin to glow as she approaches the broken replicator. The unit glows briefly, then turns back on again. "May I have a chocolate chip muffin, please?" Gem asks. A muffin appears seconds later, and Gem starts munching happily on it. "It works now!" 

Geordie and the tech look at each other, stunned. “She really does take after her dad,” Geordie said quietly. He turns back to Gem, who is still happily munching on her muffin and standing next to Troi. “So, how’s the muffin?” he asks. 

"Yummy!" Gem replies. "If Auntie Pinkie was here, the hallways would be filled with sweets!" She giggles a little at the thought, then asks 'Is there anything else I can help with, Mr. La Forge?" 

Thinking for a moment, Geordie shakes his head. “Nope, that’s about it, I think. You’ve been a big help, Gem, thank you!” 

Troi places a hand on Gem’s shoulder. “Are you ready to see the bridge?” she asks. 

"You're welcome!" Gem says, and hugs him and the tech in turn before nodding at Troi. "Yes please!" 

“Then, let’s be off. I’m sure the captain is waiting for you,” Troi says, escorting her charge toward the turbolift while Geordie and the tech wave goodbye. 

The turbolift doors open and gem is mesmerized by the sight. The mian viewscreen, showing a static starfield ahead, catches her eyes first, followed by the enormity of the room she is entering. Walking slowly, she turns to see each station on the bridge. She see Commander Data at the helm, Commander Riker in his position to the captain’s right, Lieutenant Commander Worf at the tactical station just behind the captain, and finally, Captain Picard in his command chair. Picard sees Troi and Gem enter and calls out, “Birthday girl on the bridge!” Everyone seated immediately stands, and all snap to attention. 

Gem blushes bright pink and waves, "Hi everyone! You can call me Gem!" Then she tries to sound official and important: "Um... at ease? I think?" She begins a self-guided tour of the room, starting with Worf. "My dad says you're a big, important warrior where you come from. Is that true?" 

“I come from a race of warriors, yes,” Worf growled, “my importance is dependent on whom you ask.” 

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, he also says he likes you a lot. And if he likes you, then so do I!" Gem informs him, and proceeds to present the rest of the bridge crew with the sight of a ten-year old girl hugging a large Klingon twice her size as though he was a teddy bear. Then she lets him go, and wanders off to go visit with Riker and Picard. "How'd your meeting go?" she asks them. "Did everyone get what they wanted out of the treaty?" 

“Not everyone could get what they wanted,” Picard explained, “so we reached a compromise that everyone was happy with. We made sure that everything was equal and fair to both parties.” he gestured to his chair. “I don’t do this often, but would you like to sit in the captain’s chair?” 

"Yes please!" Gem says, clapping her hands excitedly. She climbs into the chair and settles in, laying her arms on the armrests and looking every bit the captain she will later become. "This is comfy," she notes. "If I ever get to have a ship of my own, I'll have all my friends on the bridge!" She looks over at Picard. "What's your favorite thing about being captain?" 

Picard has to think about this, finally saying, “Perhaps the favorite thing about being captain is being able to explore, and learn. Not just about other worlds and cultures, but about the crew members that make up my ship. I can explore what their lives were like, learn about their cultures, their families ... and in doing so, I teach them more about myself in the process. So we learn from each other, and work together better.” He leans in close, and says earnestly, “Never lose your sense of wonder, and always be willing to learn from someone else, and you could become a great captain yourself some day.” 

"I hope so," Gem says, looking very mature for a ten-year old. "If I can be as great as you and Dad, that's good enough for me." 

Orion enters the room at that moment, wrapping a foreleg around his daughter. "Almost ready to go home, sweetie?" he asks. 

Gem awwws, giving him puppy-dog eyes. "We don't have to go right now, do we? What if something big and exciting happens? I wanna help!" 

Orion chuckles. “Now, I’m sure the captain is very busy, and we still have a party at Sugarcube Corner to attend, so we need to get going. You don’t want to keep Auntie Pinkie waiting, do you? Remember what happened last time?” 

Gem shivers. "Not at all! Bye everyone!" The rest of the crew is hugged, then Gem and Orion head back toward the transporter room. 

"Computer, end program," Orion says, and the Enterprise fades away. Giving Gem a hug of his own, he smiles. "Did you have a good time?" 

"The best ever," Gem says happily, climbing on his back and nuzzling him. "Thanks Daddy." 

Orion nuzzles back. "You're welcome, my precious gem." And he canters in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, with Gem riding along.

* * *

Emerging from the darkened holodeck, Picard and Riker emerge, smiling. “Well, that was rather entertaining, wouldn’t you say?” Picard says. 

“Well worth it,” Riker replies. “You think we’ll see her in Starfleet someday?” 

“I’m counting on it,” Picard says with a grin. “I think she’s just what the Federation needs.” He taps his comm badge. “Picard here, two to beam up.” In a shower of sparkles, the two humans vanish from the room. 


	6. Academy Days

Gem hoisted the last of the suitcases onto her bed and sighed, wiping her forehead with her hand. "Do we have to go to orientation?" she asked, looking over at Raven, her sister and now roommate. "All I want is a nap!"

“You forget, we don't have a choice any more,” Raven replied wearily. “This isn't like college back home, this is military school. We don't get to pick and choose what we want to attend, we go where they tell us.”

“Be glad it's a somewhat low-key military school,” Twilight said, entering while Raven was talking. “I did some reading on other military-type colleges, and what I read would curl your hair.”

"Curlier than it is already, anyway," Emerald added, walking beside Twilight. She placed a hand on Gem's shoulder. "Look at it this way: We have each other, right? We've come this far, we can't stop now."

"You're right," Gem said at last, and smiled. "Well... we may as well get started, it'll take a half hour just to get to the auditorium." And the group started walking, picking up the Dazzlings and Sunset as they went along.

* * *

“ … and over the next four years, you will be tested, you will be challenged, and you will have days where you feel completely demoralized. How well you respond to those tests, those challenges, and how you pick yourselves up will help you see what type of Starfleet officer you will become. With that, cadets, I welcome you to Starfleet Academy and wish you well in your scholastic endeavors.” The commandant closed the screen on her PADD and nodded to the lieutenant standing to her right.

“Cadets! Atten-TION!” the command rang out, and the snap of hundreds of cadets coming to attention echoed through the auditorium. “You will return to your barracks and prepare for inspection in two hours. Dis-MISSED!” Quickly, but orderly, the cadets filed out of the hall and back to their rooms, herded along by higher-ranked cadets shouting words of encouragement, such as, “Get your plebe rears in gear! This ain't no tea social!” and “If one more cadet whines about being tired, I'll P.T you until you puke! Move it along!”

Gem and the others went back to their respective rooms and began squaring their living spaces away.

Gem stood by her bunk as she waited for the inspector to come, taking deep breaths. "Should I really be this nervous?" she wondered aloud. "It's one thing when it's Mom coming to inspect our room-cleaning job, quite another when it's someone you've only just met."

“I don't recall giving permission to speak!” boomed the voice of the second-class cadet charged with Gem's barracks. “Stand at attention when a senior officer enters the room! No talking in ranks!” The cadet waited until Gem and Raven were standing at attention at the foot of their bunks. The cadet walked along the space, looking at everything and anything, trying to find something worthy of an infraction. Spotting a scrap of paper laying on the study desk, the cadet whirled around and looked at Gem and Raven. “You call this squared away?” the cadet said, waving the offending scrap of paper in front of their faces. “It appears you two need more training in what constitutes clean living spaces! Who's responsible for this mess?” she bellowed.

Gem gulped, her first day wasn't going nearly as well as she'd hoped. She raised a hand and said, "That would be my fault, ma'am. It's a checklist... I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed for classes. Ma'am."

“A checklist?” the cadet yelled, stomping over to Gem. “Are you gonna have a checklist on the bridge of a starship reminding you how to command it? The only list you should have should be kept up here,” she said, poking Gem in the head, “and memorized so well that it becomes habit, do I make myself clear?”

"Crystal, ma'am," Gem managed, saluting. "I'll memorize things from here on out."

“You should have been memorizing before you even walked through these doors!” the cadet shouted, inches from Gem's face. “You will meet me in the main shower room after chow tonight for advanced training. You,” she said, addressing Raven, “will dust every inch of this barracks and clean every surface while your bunkmate is with me. And I better like what I see when we return later on.” She turned and walked briskly out of the barracks.

Gem slides slowly down the wall and onto the floor, her head in her hands. "All for a piece of paper..." she mumbles, crumpling it up and tossing it into the wastebasket. "Why did I ever think this was a good idea?"

* * *

At dinner time, Gem couldn't eat. She picked at her portion of food, looking too worried about what was going to happen to her. "I haven't even been to class yet, and already I'm in trouble," she groaned. "What am I going to do?!"

“They're just testing you,” Sunset said, “seeing how you react under pressure. I'm sure it's nothing serious, just making you not want to mess up again. C'mon, eat something, you'll be fine.”

“Yeah, sis,” Raven added, “besides, Uncle Discord did much worse to us and we made it through that okay, right?”

"Yeah, but Uncle Discord was fun," Gem said, deciding to take Sunset's advice and eat something. "That cadet from earlier was the opposite." Still she ate, and as they were all dismissed to return to their barracks, she diverged from the group to join the cadet in the main shower room, after saying a quick goodbye to her friends and sister.

Entering the main shower room, Gem saw four cadets, all third-years, standing inside the showering area. “You will not get that uniform messy, cadet. Remove it and step in here.” Gem looked unsure, and was hesitant, until her barracks commander yelled, “DO IT NOW, CADET!!” Gem hastily complied, stripping to her regulation underclothing, and stepped into the shower stall.

Instantly, a blast of cold water hit Gem when one of the third-years threw a bucketful of cold, soapy water over Gem. Sputtering and shivering, Gem listened while each of the third-years quizzed her about Academy rules and regulations, and about the history of the Academy itself. For every wrong answer, she had another bucket of water thrown over her and as made to do sets of push-ups, the soapy water making the floor slick and almost impossible to maintain balance. This continued for an hour and a half, after which time a towel was thrown over Gem by her barracks advisor. “Dry off and return to your barracks, Brainiac. And don't ever forget this lesson.” Soon, Gem was alone in the shower stall, shivering and wet and barely containing her tears until everyone had gone.

Certain that she was alone, Gem dried herself off as best she could and dressed again, sobbing profusely during the whole process. Still cold, she flies back to her dorm and slams the door shut, sobbing into her pillow.

A soft knocking was heard at the door, and Sunset cautiously poked her head in. “Gem? Don't ask me how, but I knew something was wrong.” She sat down next to Gem and stroked her hair. “C'mon, tell me what happened.”

Gem sat up, her eyes red with tears, and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "They kept throwing cold water on me, and quizzed me on the Academy... for every answer I got wrong, they threw more water on me and made me do pushups..." She sniffed. "Why me? Why us?"

“It's not just you, Gem,” Sunset says, rubbing Gem's shoulders. “I heard three people from my group talking about how they were treated, and it wasn't any better for them. It's part of the military attitude, the break your spirit and rebuild you in their image. It's still not right that they did that, and I'm encouraging them, and you, to report it to the senior officer.”

Gem sniffles again but nods. "If you're sure it'll work, I trust you," she says. "I know you haven't steered me wrong before." She smiles a little at Sunset. “If I get a ship of my own someday, will you be my counselor?"

Sunset places a hand on Gem's shoulder, and both of them are enveloped in a bright glow. Sunset sprouts pony ears and a tail, her hair growing into a long mane. “Gem, I'd be pleased to be your counselor. In fact, that just made me decide what I want to do with my time here in Starfleet.” She hugs Gem tightly. “We'll go talk to the senior officer in the morning. Let's get some sleep now, it's been a very long day.”

"You're telling me." Smiling at the sight of her own pony ears, she gives Sunset a hug. "See you tomorrow, Sunny."

It was the end of her first week of classes. Gem was sitting comfortably beneath a tree on the quad, PADD in hand, letting the breeze blow through her hair. She was busily studying for a test she'd take the following Monday, and with the small pair of glasses on her nose, looked very like Orion when he had been younger.

“Is this what they let cadets do in their off duty hours?” boomed a familiar voice. Gem was about to snap to attention until Captain Jean-Luc Picard motioned with his hand. “As you were, Gemini. This is just an informal visit, I promised your father I'd look in on you from time to time.” He sat down next to her. “I heard you had a bit of trouble when you first started. Some type of hazing episode, if I'm not mistaken.”

Gem phews, before nodding. "It was terrible... cold water, soapy floors, a pop quiz on Academy history... I'd never felt more embarrassed in all my life!" She sighs. "Luckily, Sunset understood, and she went with me when we went to talk to the senior officer, who agreed that their actions were uncalled for. So... while not how I wanted to start the week, it could've been a lot worse."

Picard nods. “Agreed,” he says, “you could have had a run-in with a bunch of surly Nausicaans.” He chuckles. “You handled yourself quite well, from what I've heard. Were there any repercussions toward you or your sisters?”

Gem shakes her head. "Not as yet, I think we've gotten off easy... knock on wood." She knocks on the bark of the tree. "I've tried to be as normal as I can be... after that experience, I'm reluctant to attract any undue attention, if you see what I mean."

“Gemini, you shouldn't be spending your academy days in fear of doing something out of the ordinary. It's also quite possible that you could be singled out for trying to blend in.” Picard looks Gem in the eyes. “Part of your being here, and part of being a good captain, is to make mistakes from time to time, and to learn from them. Yes, there will be consequences to your actions, just face them with courage and dignity, note the lesson learned, and move along. You will be a better officer for it, I can practically guarantee it.”

Gem blushes a little, but nods. "Thanks," she says, getting to her feet. "I'm glad you came... I think I needed it." She checks her watch. "Want to get something to eat? My treat, of course!"

Picard stands as well, and shakes his head. “I'm afraid we're on temporary layover to pick up a group of cadets for a training mission. They should be aboard by now, so we'll be departing fairly soon. I will, however, make time to join you the next time we're here.”

Gem smiles and nods, "That would be splendid! I can't wait!" She salutes, then after making sure they were alone, hugs him quickly. "I'll see you later I suppose, good luck with the training mission."

Picard smiles and returns the hug quickly. “Thank you, Cadet Shadow. Now, be sure to contact your father, he worries about you. Spread the word to your sister and friends also.” He smiles and walks away, and after a few seconds he dematerializes as the transporter beam locks on to him.

* * *

The following Monday, Raven and Gem are walking together to their first class of the day, and one of the few they shared with their friends. "I really like Commander Riker so far," Gem was saying as they went along. "He's fair-minded and reasonable. I only hope the test goes well..." She'd spent most of the weekend in her room with her books, "I feel like I could recite the book in my sleep!"

“And that's different from any other time in your life, how?” Raven teased. “Emerald's been saying how great Commander LaForge is in her warp theory class, and Twilight is thrilled to be learning from Commander Data. Sunset likes Counselor Troi, but says she's glad the counselor isn't full Betazoid so she can't read what Sunset's thinking.”

Gem breaks into giggles, "I can imagine!" Entering the classroom, she and Raven choose their seats and sit down while the rest of the class files in. Gem puts in a small pink and yellow flower into her hair. "Lucky flower," she explains, kissing it for luck.

“As long as it's not a communication device, Cadet Shadow.” Commander Riker strode down the aisle, looking over the anxious faces of the cadets. He reached the front of the lecture room and faced the students. “If you've done the reading I've assigned, this test should be absolutely no trouble for you. If you haven't … “ his voice trailed off and he shrugged. “Computer. Load exam Riker-Twelve.” The computer beeped in reply. “You have one hour to complete the test. If you shut the terminal down, for any reason, you will not be allowed to continue or re-load the test. If it's an emergency, see me and we can arrange a makeup date. Begin.” The computer beeped again and the terminals on the desks came to life.

Gem closes her eyes and begins her test, her fingers flying over the keys. Each answer came to her without much trouble, except for one question where she had to pause and remember if it had come up in her reading yesterday. Remembering that it had, she finishes the test just as the five minute warning is issued, and softly breathes a "phew."

After an hour has passed, the computer beeps and every terminal shuts down instantaneously. “Time, cadets. Your results will be available by 1700 hours today.” Riker grins. “And, because I am a generous instructor, class will resume a week from today. Make the most of your time. Dismissed.” The students file out of the room, many of them mumbling about the test. “Cadet Gemini Shadow, would you remain here, please?”

"Certainly sir," Gem says, standing at attention beside her desk. "Is something the matter?" Raven waits outside, listening closely.

“Have a seat, Cadet,” Riker says in a serious tone. As Gem does so, Riker starts to pace a little bit. “Cadet Shadow, there has been much discussion about your grades, both in this class and throughout your studies here at the Academy. You've managed to attract the attention of most of the faculty, including the commandant. Cadet, how much studying did you do prior to being accepted here at Starfleet Academy?”

"Lots of studying sir," Gem says promptly, recalling the many, many hours she and the girls had spent in Twilight's palace library, armed to the teeth with books. "I used to spend whole days in Aunt Twilight's library, making as many notes as I could." All the same, she felt a pit open up in her stomach. Were her grades really that bad?

Riker nodded solemnly. “It seems you are also on good terms with Captain Picard, a man whose opinions I hold in the highest regard, and whose decisions I trust implicitly.” He sits on the edge of his desk. “I've been speaking to him about you, and we are in complete agreement over what I am about to tell you.”

Gem gulps. This could either be very good or very bad. "Sir?" she asks eventually, sitting on her hands to stop them from shaking.

Riker smiles. “The first thing I'm going to tell you is to stop assuming the worst every time an instructor wants to talk to you. You're doing phenomenally well, so much so that all of your instructors, Captain Picard, and even the commandant agree that you should be fast-tracked into the command program. Such an honor has not been granted to a first-year before, but with the sanction of the faculty and the blessings of the commandant, you will be the first. Congratulations, Cadet Shadow.”

Gem phews, smiling brighter than ever. Raven runs in and embraces her sister, cheering. "ALRIGHT! Way to go, sis! Just wait until Dad hears!"

After breaking free of Raven's hug, Gem smiles to Riker. "Thank you very much sir... I'm honored! I'll do my best not to let you down!"

Riker shields his eyes from the bright light that erupts from Gem as she takes pony form. “I know you won't, Cadet. Captain Picard knows you won't, either. You will begin your command training next semester, but for now, you still need to learn the basics of life in Starfleet. I have no doubt that you will have no trouble doing so.” He smiles. “Dismissed, Cadet.”

* * *

That evening, Gem is sitting with the other girls in the mess hall, sharing her story. "And that's when he told me I was being fast-tracked!" She gushed. "As soon as dinner is over, I'm letting Father know!"

Twilight, Emerald, Sunset, and the Dazzlings all offer their congratulations. “I knew things would turn out okay for you, Gem,” Sunset says, giving her a quick hug.

"And thank you for believing in me," Gem says, hugging them all back.

* * *

That evening, Gem was sitting in her dorm talking to Orion via video-link. Raven was on her own bed, listening in and filing her nails magically.

"And so, that's when he told me I was being fast-tracked," Gem was saying.

On the screen, Orion grinned. "As I expected you would be! Jean-Luc knew from the moment he met you what you could become, as did William Riker. We're very, very proud of you Gemini, I can't stress that enough."

Gem smiled. "Thanks... but there's something that's been bothering me. I mean... I know I'm smart, but... I'm your clone. And you were a captain too."

"And so you think you're only there because you're my clone?" Orion asked. Gem nodded.

Orion sighed. "Gemini my dear, if you can believe it, I asked your mother something similar the night you girls were born... and she told me something that I've believed to be true ever since: your genetic material does not make you great. Yes, you share my personality and my quirks, but you are far more than just my clone. You are your own person, with your own hopes, your own fears, and your own dreams. The same is true of your sister and friends." He smiled. "Do not think of yourself as an extension of me, my darling. Think of yourself as Gemini Shadow, a woman of great magical power and an IQ that most humans your age would be jealous of. Think of yourself as your own person, because that's exactly what you are."

Gem started to cry, but she was crying happy tears. "I love you," she managed to say. "I love you so much!"

"And I love you, Gem," Orion said, as Raven peeked from the kitchen and blew a kiss. "You've made us very proud, and I know you're only going to continue." There came a knock at the door. "I'll have to go, I think Pinkie has already begun planning a party for you... though how she'll get to Earth from here, I cannot imagine. In any case, keep an eye out, we'll be sending a box for each of you in due course."

"See you soon Father," Gem said, waving.

Orion waved back. "Until next time, my daughter." The screen went dark.

* * *

A few weeks after the fateful announcement from Riker, Gem was studying in her dorm room when Raven opened the door, a smirk on her face. “We’re going out tonight,” she announced, snatching Gem’s PADD from her with a flare of dark purple magic. 

Gem snatched it back from her, frowning. “We most certainly are not, Raven! We have an exam on Monday, as I’m sure you’ll recall! It could decide our futures in Starfleet!”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “Gem, you say that _every_ time there’s an examination. Yeah, it’s important, but one test isn’t going to decide whether you command a starship or a garbage scow! Besides, it’s Friday night! And don’t act like you haven’t been wanting to see how Earth humans live their lives! They like to go out and party on nights like this, why not go and join them?”

“Give me one good reason why I should,” Gem shot back, getting up from her chair.

Raven laid down her trump card by placing her hand in Gem’s, lacing their fingers together. “Some real sisterly bonding time,” she said quietly. “The kind we haven’t had since we left Equestria.”

“I…” Gem opened her mouth to try a rebuttal, but stopped before she could finish. “You’re right, Raven… it _has_ been a long time since we were able to just do things together as sisters… and I am curious about traditional Earth culture. What better way to experience it than by doing what the locals do?”

Raven smiled. “Knew you’d see it my way eventually. Come on, let’s get changed and I’ll meet you out on the quad. Sunset knows this great nightclub in downtown, all the first-year cadets go there.”

“What’s it called?” Gem asks, beginning to change from her cadet uniform to a simple a denim skirt and T-shirt. Raven wore a faux leather jacket, T-shirt, and faux leather mini skirt with knee-high boots.

Raven smirked again. “Bonestell’s.”

* * *

Loud rock music played on the club’s sound system as two girls, one with lavender skin and one with pale grey, walked toward the bar together. The lavender girl hopped up onto a stool and said, “Hi. I'd like a Klavnian fire tea, three Budweiser classics, two Cardassian sunrises, and a…”

“Tea, Earl grey, hot?” Gem volunteered. 

Raven rolled her eyes. “Sis, they don’t serve Earl grey at nightclubs.” She jerked a thumb at Gem. “She’ll have a Long Island Iced Tea. But make it taste like Earl grey, or she’ll go through withdrawal symptoms.” The bartender nodded and got to work.

“No I won’t,” Gem scoffed. 

“That’s a lot of drinks for one woman,” said a male voice. A [man](http://bit.ly/2pVuCIp) with blonde hair and pale blue eyes joined Raven at the bar, smiling hungrily. “Going to share?”

“Maybe,” Raven replied, tracing the man’s jaw with her finger. “What’s your name?”

“Jim,” replied the man. “Jim Pine. And you?”

Raven smirked again. “Sorry, but a magician never reveals her secrets.”

Jim sighed and tried for a playful smile. “If you don't tell me your name, I'm gonna have to make one up, you know?” he said, as the bartender placed Raven’s drinks in front of her.

“Oh, fine,” Raven responded. “It’s Raven, Raven Shadow. And this is my sister, Gemini.” Gem waved meekly.

"So there's two of you, huh?" Jim smiled. "Looks like a good night for me." He took in Raven's appearance. "So, is your skin normally that color? Or is that just the crazy lighting in this place?"

"Oh, it's real," Raven reassured. "Trust me." 

"So, what brings you two into a place like this?" Jim asked.

"We're from the Academy," Gem answered immediately.

Jim nodded, "I got it, you're one of those space types. And now you're on a break 'cause you got sick of hanging out with those boring snobs. I gotcha." He wrapped an arm around Raven and slipped something into a glass while her back was turned, then handed it to Raven. "How about you and I go find some place to... relax?" He winked.

"You'll do no such thing, sister!" Gem exclaimed, trying to pull Raven back. "This man is dangerous!"

Jim just laughed at Gem. "You gotta be kidding me! Is she for real? Hey, purple chick, did you know your sister talks like she's in a play?" He imitated Gem's accent. "Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"

"Oh, relax Gem," Raven replied in a strange voice. She took a few large gulps of her Cardassian sunrise. "I'm gonna go with this guy now. See ya later." And without further ado, Jim dragged Raven out of the bar and out of Gem's sight.

"Oh no you don't," Gem growled, jumping off the stool and racing after them.

* * *

Raven had fallen asleep in the back of Jim’s car as he drove through the streets of San Francisco, going far away from the Academy grounds and toward the city’s seedy underbelly. Here, a roaring trade in legal and illegal items and substances was done. Anything could be had for the right price.

Jim dragged Raven out of his car and hoisted her onto his back, approaching a ramshackle house. “Yo, Zach!” he called out. “It’s me, I got somethin’ for ya!”

The door swung open to reveal a [man](http://bit.ly/2pVTrEj) with dark, slicked back hair and enormous eyebrows. He saw Raven’s prone form and smiled. “Excellent. Wonder what kind of price we can get for her?”

“Would help if we knew where she came from,” Jim said, entering the house and depositing Raven on the couch. He picked up an old stolen tricoder and ran it along Raven’s body. “This says she’s human… sort of. There’s some extra stuff in there.”

Zach nodded, “We’ll have to take her in to Karl and see what he can find… you know he likes his test subjects.” 

Further conversation was interrupted by the front door crashing to the ground. Gem stood there, twirling her magic screwdriver between her fingertips and looking furious. “Give me back my sister,” she snarled. “Immediately.”

“Or what?” Jim scoffed, laughing. “You gonna shine a fancy penlight at us? Oooh, I’m so scared!”

“You should be,” Gem whispered. “I don’t need a penlight.” She slipped it back into her pocket, then closed her eyes, concentrating. A wind began to blow, which blew her hair around. Her hands started to glow with dark blue energy, and when she opened her eyes again, there was nothing but white. “I am capable of doing things humans like you cannot even begin to fathom,” she said, and walked toward Jim, running her hand along his cheek. “I have been trained in the magical arts since I was a child, taught by the former Element of Magic herself. Like my father before me, my power is quite significant… if you wish to continue to live, then you will do exactly as I tell you.” The white glow in her eyes faded, and lightning began to crackle between each of her fingers. “Release my sister, Jim Pine. Now.”

“No way,” Jim replied, grabbing a phaser pistol and aiming it at Gem. “We’re selling her on the black market. Maybe you too, if she’s got the same powers you do.”

“Then you are a fool,” Gem said softly. “Humans are a very strange species… capable of remarkable feats of intelligence, and truly astounding stupidity.” With a wave of her hand, both phasers went crashing into the nearest wall. Then she pushed at the air and spread her arms out wide, sending Zach and Jim into opposite corners of the room at speed. The glow around her hands increased as she touched her sister’s forehead, waking her up.

Raven opened her eyes and looked around blearily. “…Gem? Where the hell am I? The last thing I remember, I was ordering a bunch of drinks and talking to a guy…”

“Who was going to sell you on the black market,” Gem replied, looking into Raven’s eyes. “I’m just glad I found you in time.” 

“And if you hadn’t?” Raven asked, getting up.

“Then I would rip the universe apart to look for you,” Gem answered. “You’re my sister, and I love you very much.” Then she smiled. “How about we go visit a bookstore instead? I saw a lovely little place on the walk over to that bar!”

Raven smiled. “I’d like that. Let’s do.” The two girls took each other’s hands and left the house, back toward the main city.


	7. Secrets of the Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Starfleet Academy, Twilight and Emerald uncover a transmission from a ship that was officially declared lost over two hundred and forty years earlier, and begin investigating. Based on the Starfleet Academy comic miniseries by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott.

The date: 78176.3, or March 6, 2401. The place: Starfleet Academy, San Francisco. It was a cold and rainy night as Twilight Sparkle, a second-year cadet at the school, sat the Academy’s long-range sensor lab. She wore a medium grey hoodie with the school’s name and the Starfleet delta on the front, as did her younger sister, Emerald Wave. Emerald walked over to Twilight’s terminal, smirking slightly. “Sparks, come grab a late-night snack with me! You can’t spend all night in here! Again!” she said.

“I have to, Emmy,” said Twilight, pushing on the bridge of her glasses with one lavender fingertip. “This signal is driving me crazy! There’s got to be a way to filter out all this distortion!”

“It will still be here in the morning,” Emerald replied, “And even _you_ can use a few hours of sleep.”

Twilight sighed. “Okay, okay… let me just close up real… quick…” She froze. “Emerald… I’m picking something up.” She pressed the headphone cups closer to her ears. Her hands glowed magenta as she levitated a notebook and quill from her backpack, and began to transcribe what she heard. “Help… help us… Slayton…”

Emerald adjusted her own glasses as she read the words, and the two girls exchanged a look. “Whatever this is…” Emerald began.

“They need help,” Twilight finished.

* * *

The next day, Aria Blaze sat across the desk from Tom Paris, former helmsman for the USS _Voyager_. “You wished to see me, Commander Paris?”

Paris nodded. “I did indeed, Cadet Blaze. By all means, sit down.” He smiled and gestured to the chair in front of him.

Aria sat, hands folded neatly in her lap. “This isn’t about my point-zero-one-five deviation in my last astronavigation exam score, is it?” she asked.

Paris shook his head, chuckling. “No, not at all, your grades are as impressive as ever. No, I wanted to talk to you about something else.” He leaned forward slightly in his chair. “Your princess, Celestia, has expressed some concern about you and your fellow Equestrians.”

“What kind of concerns?” asked Aria.

“She’s heard from some of your instructors, myself included, that you have been… shall we say, withdrawn,” Paris continued. “She can’t figure out why it is you don’t seem to be making very many friends among the rest of your class. Friendship is a central tenant of Equestrian belief systems, isn’t it?”

Aria nodded. “Not to mention the most powerful form of magic on Equus.”

Paris nodded. “And it is in the spirit of friendship that I inform you that Princess Celestia has asked you all to participate in this year’s Inter-Academy Exploratory Competition. Every four years, we invite schools from across the Federation to take part in a series of physical and intellectual competitions. Starfleet Academy’s team had yet to be picked, at least until Princess Celestia volunteered you eight. She believes, as do I, that you are uniquely suited to bring Starfleet Academy a victory it has long hungered for. What do you think?”

Aria stretched her arms. “Well, if it is a royal directive… we’ll give it our best shot, Commander.”

Paris smiled. “Excellent, Cadet. Dismissed.”

Aria rose and left Paris’ office, crossing the main courtyard as she headed in the general direction of the first-year barracks. Emerald and Twilight were coming from the other direction, from the canteen. Emerald grinned. “Aria! Just the girl I was hoping to see!”

“Something going on?” Aria asked, blinking.

Twilight nodded. “You know that signal I’ve been working on decoding the last couple days? Emmy and I found something strange in it late last night, we need your help pinpointing its location.”

Aria nodded. “I think I can give it a try. What have you learned about it so far?”

“Only that it’s a strange cry for help,” Emerald answered. “I cleaned it up by focusing on the variance in the frequency contours of the strongest sonic points, and removed as much noise as I could. Finding out _where_ it’s coming from could give us a good idea on what to do next.”

“I’ll do what I can,” said Aria. “But we can’t work all night. Princess Celestia has asked us to be Starfleet Academy’s delegation in this year’s Inter-Academy Exploratory Competition, and the reception is tonight.”

“An athletic competition?!” Twilight’s eyes got very wide. “I’m not an athlete, I’m an academic! I could barely run a mile in high school! What do I do?!”

“Sparks, calm down,” said Emerald, squeezing her sister’s hand. “It’s an intellectual competition too, and you’re the smartest girl of all of us.”

Twilight smiled. “Even allowing for the fact that my IQ alone surpasses that of most humans?”

Emerald grinned. “Especially that. We’ll show ‘em what us pony-girls are made of! But first, to the sensor lab!” And the three ran off.

Several hours of work later, Aria looked up from her terminal. “Alright… I’ve finished analyzing the vector of the signal. I can’t give you a precise location, but I’ve narrowed it down to the nearest star system.”

“Wagner 219?” said Twilight softly. “Strange…”

“Ponder on it later, sis,” said Emerald. “We got a party to go to.”

* * *

That evening, the eight Equestrians entered the banquet hall, a rarely-seen section of the Academy campus that only saw use when visiting dignitaries were in town. Whispers filled the hall as they arrived, as it seemed news that the first Equestrians to attend the school had been made Starfleet Academy’s delegation for the competition had spread quickly. They weren’t good whispers however, as most of the student body speculated that it was due to some sort of interference or nepotism on the part of Orion Shadow, one of the first Equestrian Starfleet officers.

“Why is it,” Gem asked the others as they entered, “despite being in a room filled with all sorts of other species, are we the ones being treated with suspicion?”

Raven shrugged. “If I knew the answer to that, we’d be able to do something about it. Remember what Dad always says: lead by example, and treat others how you’d like to be treated.”

Further discussion was forestalled when the head of the school, a woman with steel-grey hair and dark brown skin, spoke from a podium with the Starfleet delta on it. “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, distinguished members of the Federation. We are gathered here to celebrate the two hundred and fortieth anniversary of the founding of Starfleet Academy. Before the Academy was founded, Starfleet was no stranger to tragedy. One of the first Federation vessels, the USS _Slayton_ , vanished without a trace. The crew was lost. But it is because of their sacrifice, and others like them, that this academy was forged… so that future generations of cadets would be prepared for whatever they encountered in the vastness of space.”

“We are a family, bound not by blood, but by our ideals. Our mighty house spans millions of light years and is fortified by the belief that the very differences that set others apart… bring us together. And so, as we celebrate this anniversary, let us be reminded of this institution’s ultimate goal: to shape the leaders of tomorrow. To instill in them the principles of peace and understanding. And to send them forth, prepared to explore beyond the reaches of known space… to places no one has gone before.” The audience applauded.

* * *

The next morning, Twilight poured over her computer terminal, and adjusted her glasses. “Wagner-219… a system, not a person… let’s see what we can find out about you in the archives…” She tapped the keyboard, only to be greeted with an “ACCESS DENIED” warning. She blinked. “What?! Why would the archives block a simple information request? Unless… there’s something they don’t want people to know?” Puzzled, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the mess hall to meet with the other Equestrians for breakfast.

“Starfleet called it a phonic echo,” she said to the other girls. “Most likely reflecting from one in a thousand potential origin points. They thanked me for bringing it to their attention and said they’d give the matter the appropriate consideration.”

“But?” Adagio asked.

“But I already checked the archive for anything about Wagner-219, and all I got was that it’s restricted space, full of subspace eddies that can disrupt warp fields. They’re all over the place,” Twilight said. “It’s the oddest thing! We pick up a two hundred year old distress call from a Federation ship that points directly to a restricted sector, and not only that, it’s the same ship we heard about last night!” She leaned in close. “I think they’re hiding something.”

“And you want to find out what, don’t you Sparks?” Emerald asked.

Twilight nodded. “It’s a puzzle, and you know what I’m like when I have a puzzle to solve. Right now I just need a way to get past the security wall… someone with a blatant disregard for authority and an ego the size of Mom’s castle.”

Raven raised her hand. “I could help. I’m with Em, this stuff sounds all kinds of suspicious. Problem is, you’re gonna have to break in. Of course, you’re talking to the girl who beat the Kobayashi Maru test _and_ managed to avoid getting expelled, so… easy as pie.”

“I just wonder why you’re doing this, Twilight,” said Gem. “Compromising Starfleet records like that will guarantee you’re expelled, and the rest of us too.”

“I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do, Gem,” Twilight insisted. “No one’s last words should ever go unheard.”

Gem sighed.“Fair enough. Just remember girls, we still have the Competition to deal with. You’ll have to do all this mystery-solving on your own time.”

“Yes, mom,” said Emerald, smirking.

* * *

The Competition went surprisingly well for Starfleet Academy. Though Adagio only lost the marksmanship competition because Sonata accidentally shot her in the back, Aria made up for it by winning the piloting competition when she was able to fly a Intrepid-class ship through a field of meteors without being hit or scratched, putting them in second place, behind the Vulcans and ahead of the Andorians. Raven and Sunset won the knowledge competition, while Twilight got partial credit in the medical competition despite not stopping any blood hemorrhaging. She pointed out that dropping the patient’s core body temperature reduced its need for oxygen, giving her more time to stop internal bleeding. When told the goal of the exercise was to evaluate surgical abilities, not save the patient, she replied that the goal is _always_ to save the patient.

Last of all was a simulated transporter scenario: four away team members are stranded on a hostile planet with deteriorating surface conditions. The goal of the exercise was to isolate and lock onto their patterns through the hazardous atmospheric distortions. The first cadet to transport all four members out alive would be the winner. To solve the problem, Emerald was able to redirect the annular confinement beam around the ion cloud rather than through it, saving the crew members from lethal radiation exposure.

Since there were a few days before the final phase of the competition, this gave Twilight and Raven a chance to focus on solving the mystery of the lost ship. They entered a restricted section of the archives, only to be met with a guard. “Hey! What are you two cadets doing here?! You aren’t allowed to be here!”

“About damn time someone showed up,” said Raven, turning around. “We’ve been looking all over for someone to help us! We were granted access to a secure terminal for a class assignment, but they screwed up our clearance. Mind giving us a hand?”

The guard nodded. “Sure. Follow me please.” The two did so.

Minutes later, the two Equestrians listened in awe and horror as they heard a recording of a mutiny aboard the USS _Slayton_. “Incredible… these recordings… A mutiny on a Starfleet ship that disappeared over two hundred years ago, and it’s been kept secret all this time… Raven, we _have_ to tell people!”

Raven looked up. “Twi, are you _insane_?! We can’t take this public! A little breaking and entering, I’m all for it, but leaking Starfleet secrets?! That’s immediate expulsion, we’ll be on the first shuttle back to Equestria before you can say ‘ponyfeathers!’” She got up. “If you really want to do this… you’re on your own.” She left.

* * *

Twilight was sitting in her history lecture when the call to [Admiral Marcus](http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/File:Alexander_Marcus.jpg)’ office came. He was a stern man, and he glared down at Twilight as she entered. “Cadet Sparkle, please have a seat. I think we both know why you’re here.”

Twilight gulped. “Admiral Marcus, whatever Cadet Shadow said— I want you to know that the entire thing was my idea.”

“That’s exactly what she said, in fact,” Marcus replied. “I’ll deal with her later. For now, I’d like to talk about you.” He turned away from the window to face Twilight. “I want to stress that we do not monitor every minute of cadets’ work within Starfleet databases. We trust your good judgement. But your actions thus far have shown a distinct _lack_ of good judgement.”

“I’m sorry to breach protocol, Admiral,” said Twilight. “But I was only trying to find out what happened to the USS _Slayton_. All the records were classified.”

“And you suspect there must be a reason why,” Marcus finished. “There is.” He sighed.

“As everyone knows, the _Slayton_ disappeared over two hundred years ago. All Starfleet had was a snippet of a distress call, but it could not ascertain its location.”

“I heard the call,” Twilight interrupted. “I know about the mutiny. But I also think we should investigate Wagner-219 again.”

“We already searched that system, Cadet. Multiple times. Nothing was found. Admiral Somers lost his son, Jack, the ship’s chief engineer. Believing his son and the crew had lacked the necessary training to prepare them for the job, Admiral Somers proposed the establishment of an academy to train all future Starfleet officers. It’s why you and I are sitting here today.”

“But why still keep the mutiny a secret? Their families have a right to know the truth!”

“Because it was Admiral Somers’ _son_ who led the mutiny, Cadet,” said Marcus. “No way was Starfleet going to tell the public that the lost son of the Academy’s founder was a mutineer. Not then, not now, not another two hundred years from now! Some things are best left unsaid.” He sighed. “I don’t blame you for your curiosity, Cadet Sparkle. But the fact is, you breached Academy regulations, and there are consequences. But before we get to those, someone has asked to speak on your behalf.”

He tapped his monitor, and the face of Ambassador Orion Shadow appeared on it. He nodded once. “Admiral Marcus, Cadet Sparkle.”

“Ambassador, precisely what do you mean by this call?” Marcus asked. “I understand the desire to protect members of your species, but the cadet accessed information from a restricted archive. I don’t need to invent a reason to expel her.”

“I’m aware of that, Admiral,” Orion replied. “But I believe there are extenuating circumstances at play. Specifically, Cadet Sparkle was accessing the archive under my instructions.”

“Explain,” said Marcus.

“As an adjunct professor in addition to my role as Equestria’s ambassador to the Federation, I am authorized to select any personnel, regardless of rank, to assist me in my research,” Orion began. “Cadet Sparkle, of course, is one of the brightest minds I’ve ever seen. I requested her security clearance be adjusted, under the specific instructions that it remain classified.” He held up a PADD. “I have a security clearance priority request order. The stardate listed is 78176.3, two days before she accessed the archive.”

Marcus sighed. “I have no proof that you falsified this information… but I also have no proof that you did not. Regardless, you and I are going to have a long talk about security protocol and chain of command. Starfleet out.” The screen went dark, and he turned to Twilight. “I don’t have to remind you that everything you saw is classified. If you discuss this with anyone, there will be severe consequences. As it is… dismissed, Cadet Sparkle.”

* * *

The final event of the Competition was a scavenger hunt. Participants were to take a shuttle and find a list of items, to find out how they would work together as crewmates. Gem took the center seat of the shuttle, acting as its de-facto captain, while Aria and Sonata took up the roles of navigator and helm respectively, and the other five grouped themselves around the remaining computer stations.

“Ms. Dusk, how long until liftoff?” asked Gem, getting into her role.

“Liftoff in 3… 2… 1… engaging warp engines, Captain,” Sonata replied. “Course set forPlanetoid GP-575.”

“Not a very creative name,” snarked Raven, as the ship flew off into the starry skies. “What will we have to do when we get there?”

“Scan and analyze the atmospheric composition,” Twilight replied. “We’ll need our spacesuits though, since it’s highly unlikely there will be an atmosphere like the ones we know.”

“Of course.” Raven rolled her eyes. “Typical… And here I was hoping we’d see some action.”

“Be careful what you wish for, Raven,” cautioned Sunset. “You might just get it.”

* * *

Soon, they’d arrived at the planetoid. Gem, Twilight, Raven, Emerald, and Adagio climbed out of the shuttle to the surface, wearing spacesuits. Emerald bent down and brushed the top of what looked like a very small tree with her finger. “Check this out, girls! It looks like something out of an Earth children’s book! Like Dr. Seuss!”

“Emmy, don’t touch that!” said Twilight, looking up from her tricorder. “Remember, we’re not supposed to interact with any biological life we find!”

“Oh calm down, I was just curious,’ said Emerald, straightening up.

“Are we done yet?” asked Raven. “We’re already in the middle of the standings, we can’t afford to lose any more time!”

“Take it easy, Shadow!” Aria shot back. “If we don’t collect the data, we don’t get credit for this part of the race!” The ground beneath their feet had started to rumble ominously.

Emerald looked down at her boots. “Does anyone else feel that?” she asked, just as the ground below the tree began to splinter and crack. She gulped. “Oh Celestia… everyone get your flanks back to the ship, _now_!” An enormous creature, like a worm but with an enormous circular mouth and no eyes erupted out of the ground, roaring loudly.

“Ms. Dusk! Get the shuttle prepared for takeoff immediately!” Gem yelled into her combadge.

“Yes, ma’am!” Sonata replied. “What’s going on out there?!”

“We’re being attacked by some kind of monster!” Gem replied, as the group ran as fast as they could toward the shuttle.

Adagio stayed, and grabbed her phaser. “If this thing damages the ship, we’re all done for!” she shouted. “The rest of you get onboard, I’ll slow him down!” She began firing at the creature, but it didn’t seem to help, as the worm only redoubled its efforts to catch and eat her. Just as things looked grim, Aria and Sonata grabbed Adagio and pulled her to safety, and the shuttle flew off again, away from the surface of the planetoid.

“Girls, I got bad news,” Sunset reported. “We’re now in last place.”

“Of course we are,” sighed Raven. “Can’t this thing go any faster?”

“I’m pushing the engines to the max, but this isn’t exactly the _Enterprise_ , Raven!” said Emerald from her station. “Where are we going to next, Aria?”

Aria blanched. “…Wagner-219.” Sure enough, a “QUARANTINED” sign appeared on the main viewscreen.

“And it’s quarantined because…” said Raven.

“Due to the existence of temporal anomalies of a potentially problematic nature,” explained Twilight.

“If only one of them could send us ahead in time to win the race,” commented Adagio.

Aria hummed. “Looking at the system’s specs, I’m not saying we could time travel, but it could be the next best thing.”

“Explain, please,” said Gem.

“Look at the edge of that weird energy field close to the star,” said Aria. “I think I can plot a course that uses the edge as a slingshot. It would put us in first place easily!”

“Much like the Apollo program used the gravity of the moon to propel the command module back to Earth!” Twilight exclaimed. “Aria, you’re a genius!”

“And best of all, there’s nothing in the rules that says we can’t choose our path to the next relay point,” added Raven, grinning.

“There is the matter of the quarantine to consider, however,” Sunset pointed out. “Any advantage gained could be invalidated by the judges due to our violating orders.”

“Yeah, but we wouldn’t be going _into_ the system,” said Aria. “We’ll just be skirting the edge to get a speed boost!”

“I think it’ll work,” said Emerald. “It sounds like something I would do!”

“In that case… make it so, Ms. Blaze,” said Gem, smiling.

Aria quickly tapped at her console. “Course plotted. Telemetry holding. Stand by for perimeter surge.”

“Modulating shield frequency to compensate,” said Adagio.

“Venting plasma both fore and aft,” added Twilight. “Inertial dampeners are fluctuating and… holding!”

They skirted along the edge of the field, but then Emerald frowned. “Uh… girls? This might sound weird, but… I don’t think we’re actually going any faster. I think space is slowing down.”

“Are we still on course?” asked Gem.

Emerald shrugged. “I’m following Aria’s path to the degree, but power is still fluctuating. Space… I think it’s shrinking.”

“Transmission incoming,” Adagio said suddenly. “We’re approaching another ship.”

“Play the transmission and give us a view of the ship please, Ms. Dazzle,” ordered Gem.

A view of the Slayton, registry NX-05, appeared on the main viewer. A voice emanated from the cockpit’s speakers: _“Helllp ussss… Sslaytonn…”_

“Impossible!” said Emerald and Twilight together.

“It looks a lot like the first _Enterprise_ ,” Raven observed. “You know, the NX-01?”

“Indeed, sister,” Gem agreed. “Adagio, open a hailing frequency please.” She rose from her seat and tugging at the hem of her cadet uniform.

“Frequency open,” Adagio reported. A view of the _Slayton_

Gem faced the viewscreeen. “USS Slayton, this is Gemini Shadow of Starfleet Cadet Ship A-317,” she said. “Are you in need of assistance?”

 _“This is Captain Hendricks of the USS Slayton,”_ said a male voice. _“Who the heck are you, where the heck are you from, and please tell me there’s a much bigger starship hiding behind you?!”_

“I’m afraid we are the only ones here, Captain,” Gem answered. “I think we need to have a conversation. Request permission to beam over.”

 _“We’re running on fumes, but we’ll get you over here as soon as possible,”_ replied Hendricks. _“Slayton out.”_

* * *

Some time later, the senior staff of the Slayton and the eight cadets met in the Slayon’s briefing room. All the Slayton crew wore the blue jumpsuit [uniforms](http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/gallery/factfiles/uniforms-2151-1.jpg) of the pre-Federation era. Captain Hendricks sighed. “So, we’re about two hundred and forty years in the future... or you’re two hundred and forty years in the past?”

“Judging by my calculations, I’m afraid it’s the former,” said Twilight.

“I guess that makes sense,” commented Hendricks. “You can still get us out of here, right? Through the anomaly or whatever?”

“Actually, that’s a tentative no at present,” said Emerald, biting her lip. “Ever since we entered the energy field, our power levels have been freefalling and our ship can barely maneuver.”

Hendricks sighed. “Great... so we’re still trapped, only now we’re trapped with a bunch of students lost on their field trip. Perfect.”

“Cheer up, Captain!” said Sonata happily. “We’re really special students! We’ll have you out of here in no time at all!”

“Speaking of time, that’s exactly the problem we need to solve,” said Gem. “Twilight, would you mind?”

Twilight pushed up her glasses and spoke up. “This entire region of space was quarantined due to an undulating temporal maelstrom with continually shifting linear viscosity caused by dark matter ripples and gravitational degradation,” she explained.

“What my complete dork of a big sister means is we’re caught in time quicksand,” said Emerald. “The more we struggle inside, the faster time passes outside.” She turned to the ship’s chief engineer. “Chief Somers, I noticed you have circumvented fail-safes to keep key systems functioning below operational minimums.”

Somers, an African-American man, nodded. “It was either that or freeze to death. Why? Got a plan, horse-girl?”

Emerald beamed at him and began to pony up, a curly brown tail and equine ears both appearing on her person. “Damn straight I do. Wanna help?”

Somers smiled. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

“So, what is this plan of yours, girls?” Gem asked, entering main engineering. Twilight, Emerald, and Somers were hard at work doing their modifications to the Slayton’s systems.

“Well, it’s risky, but Sparks figured out that the ship’s deflector array will withstand the strain of an inverted graviton field, essentially making it a kind of sail,” Emerald explained. “So, the shields go up, and with the right amount of force, we can use the sail to get free of the anomaly and return home.”

“But what kind of force?” Gem asked.

“That’s the risky part,” Twilight admitted. “We’ll have to perform a controlled warp core detonation to generate the force we need. The detonation could theoretically produce a propulsion wave large enough for the Slayton to sail beyond the anomaly and get everyone home.”

“Or, in laymare’s terms,” said Emerald, “We’re gonna blow up a bomb in the time quicksand and try to surf the splash out.”

“And you’re quite sure the explosion won’t kill us all or shoot us into an alternate dimension?” Gem inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Both are theoretical possibilities, but this is our only serviceable option,” Twilight replied. “If Aunt Dash was here I’d have her do a sonic rainboom, but we don’t have time to come up with something else.” She adjusted her glasses. “In addition, one of us will have to pilot the ship to the required distance, disable the warp core containment protocols, and beam back before detonation.”

“I’ll go,” Emerald volunteered. “It was my crazy idea to begin with!”

Gem sighed, giving each of her fellow cadets a hug and a nuzzle on the cheek. “Make it so, you two. Just… try to avoid getting killed.”

* * *

In what seemed like no time at all, Emerald was back on the cadet ship, while Twilight and Somers took their positions at the navigation and helm consoles. The rest of the cadets stood around the bridge, with Gem and Raven on either side of Captain Hendricks’ chair.

“Slayton, this is A-317,” said Emerald’s voice. “Engines are dry. That’s as far away from you as I can get.”

Hendricks nodded. “Alright, let’s get our sails up.”

“I have calibrated the deflector shields for optimal resistance,” Twilight reported. “Shields ready at your command, Mr. Somers.”

“Let’s see if the students know their stuff,” said Somers, pressing a button. “Activating shields… NOW!” The shields went up.

On the cadet ship, Emerald tapped furiously at her console. “Okay! Manual override of warp core containment commencing!” A warning of an imminent warp core breach appeared. “Got it! Beam me up, Slayton!” She disappeared in a shower of sparkles, and reappeared on the bridge of the Slayton a second later.

“Everybody grab on to something,” said Hendricks, “and say any prayers you’ve got!”

In reply, Gem closed her eyes and brought her hands together, whispering a prayer to the Royal Sisters in Equestrian. To human ears, it sounded like the noises that horses make. The cadet ship blew up, and the Slayton rode the resulting shockwave. After a few tense seconds…

“All hands, report!” barked Hendricks.

“Moderate hull damage, engines are offline, and that shockwave burnt out the shields, Captain,” Somers reported. “Nice work, Cadet Wave.”

Emerald gave him a thumbs-up. “No prob, dude.”

 _“This is the Federation starship USS Wilson_ ,” said a voice from the speakers. _“Please identify yourself.”_

“We see you, Wilson,” said Hendricks, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Never been happier to see another starship in my life!” Everyone cheered.

* * *

At a special ceremony to commemorate the Slayton’s return, and the role of the eight Equestrians in solving the mystery, Admiral Marcus stood behind a podium and spoke. “When this competition began, we had no idea that the outcome would take us back to the beginning of the Academy itself,” he said. “There is no better way to honor the two hundred and forty second anniversary of its founding than by celebrating the rescue of the Slayton and her crew after so many centuries.” 

He gestured to Gem and the others. “These eight cadets represent the heart of Starfleet: driven, dedicated people coming together to do the unimaginable. Today, we salute them with the highest honor any cadet has ever received: the Starfleet medal of honor.” Eight silver medals inscribed with the Starfleet delta were brought out, and the blue ribbons attached to them were laid on the girls’ chests. Everyone applauded.

As the ceremony came to an end, Orion and Princess Celestia both approached the eight, and Orion reared up on to his back legs so he could hug each of his daughters. “The medal of honor, and you lot haven’t even graduated yet,” he said softly. “I’m very proud of you today, girls. _All_ of you.”

“As am I, my little ponies,” added Princess Celestia, smiling. “You have done the Federation a great service, securing Equestria’s place within it.”

Gem blushed. “We do the best we can, Your Majesty,” she said.

“If this is your best, then Starfleet’s future is in very good hands,” said Celestia with a nod. “Now, I do believe your Aunt Pinkie Pie has a party ready for you. Shall we depart?”

“Let’s,” said Orion. “ _Wolfsbane_ , ten to beam up!” They disappeared, and their borrowed ship zoomed off toward Equus.


	8. Shakedown

"Captain's log, stardate 78232.1. The USS Icarus has been dispatched to a small world in the Zacherle cluster to pick up some new Academy graduates. I'm told they each have some unique abilities that could make them very valuable officers."

* * *

Down in Equestria, the Shadow sisters were pulling on their new uniforms for the first time. Gem and Raven were both wearing command red, while Sunset had sciences blue.

"I kind of wish sciences wore yellow," Sunset commented. "It would suit my skin tone better. You're lucky Gem, grey goes with everything!"

Gem laughed. "I think you look just darling in it, Sunset! Now come, we have to show our parents!"

They met their parents in the main sitting room, turning around in circles so they could see.

Raven (the pony) smiled warmly. "Look at that, Orion! Our little girls are all grown up!"

"I'm so proud of you," Orion agreed. "We both are! What did you say your ship was called?"

"The USS Icarus," Raven (the human) said. "Registry number NCC-123188. She's a Constitution class model based on the late 23rd century refit."

"Wonderful!" Orion beamed and hugged each of his three daughters, "Best of luck up there, you three. I'll see you again in two years!"

* * *

In no time at all, the eight Equestrian humans had assembled on the Icarus' bridge. The captain came in to address them. "Welcome aboard the Icarus, ladies,” he said. He was a man with large green glasses on his face and brown hair and mustache with a white stripe in both. "My name is Clayton Forrester, and I will be your captain for the duration of your time with us. I hope you will all make yourselves useful! I expect great things from all of you. Is that understood?"

“Perfectly, sir,” Raven said, standing at attention.

“What are our orders, sir?” Twilight asked.

Forrester smiles. "You're going to be my bridge crew. Gem will serve as my first officer, Raven will be my second officer, Aria and Sonata will serve as navigator and helm respectively, Adagio will be the security chief, Emerald will be chief of Engineering, and Twilight and Sunset will serve as science officers. Now... report to your stations, all of you, and let's get this show on the road! Oh, and before I forget, we have a weekly movie night on Sundays. Bring your best sense of humor!"

All eight saluted and moved to their duty stations.

* * *

Emerald was being shown around be her training officer. “You will technically be in control of things down here, but if anything should go drastically wrong or if I feel you’re not performing your job in a competent manner, I will step in and assume control. We have a fine crew working down here, let them use their skills to their full abilities and you won’t go wrong. Do you have any questions?”

“No, Commander Servo,” Emerald said.

“A small tip for you – engineers work best in a non-formal environment. As long as top brass isn’t around, we’re all on a first name basis around here. Just call me Tom,” Commander Servo said with a smile.

Emerald smiled. “You got it. Emerald works for me.”

* * *

“So … you trained with Worf, eh?” Lieutenant Commander Nelson said, studying Adagio carefully.

“That’s correct, sir,” Adagio replied. “I was in the top five percent of his students.”

Nelson stood up and slowly walked toward Adagio. Grabbing an object from his desk, he made a sudden lunge at her. Adagio quickly sidestepped the move and grabbed Nelson’s arm, disarming him, before slamming him hard to the deck. Kneeling on his back, twisting his arm around behind him, Adagio said with a mix of disbelief and authority, “With all due respect, sir, what was that all about?”

Nelson smiled, or grimaced, it was hard to tell. “Had to see what you were made of, Lieutenant. You passed, admirably. Could you let me up, please?”

Adagio picked up the rubber knife that Nelson had grabbed. “Very well, sir.”

* * *

“And this,” said Lieutenant Commander Robinson, “is one of my pet projects!” He showed off a gold-painted robot that vaguely resembled a duck. “I call him Art! What do you think?”

“Ingenious, sir!” Twilight said, fingering the robot. “Do you often work on projects like this?”

Robinson nodded, “Just in my spare time. I’m working on how to make him talk, but I’ve been having some problems lately with some of the parts I salvaged from the last starbase. Think you could give me a hand?”

Sunset smiled. “Absolutely!”

* * *

Gathering in Ten Forward after their duty shifts had ended, the eight reflected on their first week aboard the ship. “Haven’t had much that was challenging so far, have we?” Raven asked the group. “Everything we’ve done seems pretty straightforward.”

“I think the biggest challenge has been the lack of tacos,” Sonata said. “I think all that time on Earth spoiled me. But you’re right, it’s been easy-peasy so far.”

Aria agreed. “Simple course plots, nothing evasive or tricky … almost boring, really.”

“Agreed,” Gem says. “I spend more time conversing with Captain Forrester than anything else.” She sips her drink. “Is everyone looking forward to the movie night this weekend?"

“If nothing else it should be a nice distraction,” Sunset said, sipping her drink. “I hear Nelson and Robinson alternate as hosts. Should be interesting to see.”

“Forrester mentioned earlier they’ve invited a new boy to join in,” Emerald says. “Some kid named Jonah, not much older than us.”

“This week’s movie is called The Crawling Eye,” Aria says, pointing to a poster on the wall. Nearby, a viewscreen plays a looping video of the movie’s credits. Emerald watches, and says after a moment: “Oh. Forest Tucker. He's the guy that makes sure the tree's shirt tails are in.”

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata stare at Emerald, then turn to each other. “This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?” Sonata asks.

“If that’s an example of what we can expect … yeah, pretty much,” Adagio says with a sigh.

Twilight nods toward the crew filing into the auditorium. “Looks like they’re getting ready to start. Let’s grab seats.”

Those seats turn out to be with all eight of them in a row, with Gem on the far right and moving down to Emerald on the far left. Captain Forrester strides out in front of the screen. “Welcome, everyone, to our weekly Mystery Science Movie Night! Your host today is Lieutenant Commander Hodgson, and our feature presentation is The Crawling Eye! Ready phasers and fire laughter torpedoes!” Everyone laughs, and the movie begins.

* * *

“Well. That was certainly... different,” Raven commented as the group gathered in Ten Forward after the movie.

“At least Emerald won the Participation Award for Best Newbie,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, she was out-riffing everyone in there,” Adagio remarked. “Has she always been like that?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. I’m surprised Mom didn’t duct-tape her mouth closed whenever we went to the theater.”

“Depends which one you’re taking about,” Emerald reminds Twilight, smirking.

“Mama Vinyl was pretty bad about it too,” Adagio says, remembering.

Sonata nods and giggles, “Yeah! Mama Tavi used to elbow her to get her to keep quiet, and it never worked!”

Gem stretched and yawned, “I don’t know about you girls, but I’m exhausted from laughing so hard… I think I might go to my quarters and sleep before my next shift.”

“Not a bad idea,” Sunset said, stretching. “Given how dull our duty shifts have been this was the most excitement I’ve had in a while. I’m not used to it.”

“Until tomorrow, then?” Raven said, rising from her seat. The other followed, saying their goodnights and heading to their quarters.

* * *

The blare of the alarm klaxon rang throughout the ship, and the red alert light flashed repeatedly. “Red Alert, all personnel to their duty stations! Repeat, ALL personnel to their duty stations! This is not a drill!”

The eight hurriedly dressed and went to their respective areas. The ship’s corridors were jammed with people, making travel difficult.

Gem finds herself buffetted and shunted around by several other crewmembers, and when she finally does get to the bridge, she’s in disarray. “Status report!” she barks, sitting down in the commander’s seat. Forrester’s seat is conspicuously empty, but Gem assumes he’s just caught up in traffic.

“No warning, ma’am,” the helmsperson replied. “It happened too quick to get a handle on, nor could we evade.”

“Helm and navigation systems are offline,” the navigator added. “Engines show offline as well.”

“Curiouser and curiouser… what would knock out all those systems at the same time, and so quickly? Electromagnetic interference?” She looks over at the science officer. “Can you scan for anything bizarre? Or will we have to start doing things the old fashioned way?”

Twilight and Sunset begin to analyze the sensor logs. “No signs of EM interference,” Sunset reports, “in fact, sensors aren’t reading anything unusual. We’re attempting a diagnostic now.”

“Engineering to bridge,” Emerald called over the intercom. “Impulse and warp engines are online and functioning as they should … the only problem is, all of the interconnects that send that power to our propulsion systems are disconnected. I’ve never seen anything like this, and neither has Commander Servo.”

“Try what you can to restore those interconnects, Miss Wave,” Gem orders. “Any luck with those diagnostics, Miss Shimmer?”

“Diagnostics show no malfunction,” Sunset responded.

“Ma’am, something at extreme range, bearing 45 degrees. Whatever it is, it’s not moving,” Adagio reported.

“Impulse power restored, so we can move, although very slowly,” Sonata said, checking her readouts. “Navigation seems unaffected.”

“Shields are inoperative,” Adagio added, “phasers only are functional.”

“Attempt to hail that ship,” Gem orders. “Move closer if we need to. Computer, locate Captain Forrester.”

“Captain Forrester is not aboard the Icarus,” the computer replied.

“The ship is ignoring our hails,” Adagio said. “Still holding position, just outside weapons range.”

“Long-range sensors show a vessel of unknown origin, small in size, no identifier beacons detected,” Twilight said from the science station.

“So now we’ve got a missing person, a ship that won’t talk to us, and we can’t fire… there’s only one thing to do.” Gem adjusts her tunic. “Miss Dazzle, meet me in transporter room 1. We’ll go aboard and see what’s going on directly.”

Adagio looks at her readout. “Impossible, Captain. We cannot transport through their shields.” A beep and a flashing light get Adagio’s attention. “We’re being hailed.”

“Now they talk to us…” Gem sighs and as the other ship is put on the viewscreen, speaks. “This is Commander Gemini Shadow of the USS Icarus. Who are you, and why are you interfering with our systems?”

The screen changes to the inside of the unknown vessel. In the viewer is what appears to be a humanoid, wearing an all-black uniform. His hair is almost white, as is his skin tone. “Who I am isn’t important, Commander … what is important is that I have your captain as my hostage. Submit to my demands and I will release him unharmed.”

"And your demands are what, precisely?" Gem asks. "And what do you plan to do if we refuse them?"

“I demand safe passage to the Aldebaran system, six thousand bars of gold-pressed latinum, and a case of Hamdingers,” said the rogue captain. “If you refuse … well …”

“He’s powering weapons!” Adagio exclaimed.

“Shield status?” Raven asked.

“Only 10 percent,” Adagio replied.

A bolt of energy streaked away from the rogue ship, striking the Icarus on her saucer section. The bolt bounced off harmlessly, and deflected into space.

Gem and Raven looked at each other. “Is he serious?” Raven asked, incredulous.

"I guess so," Gem concedes. "I only wish I knew what Hamdingers were, and why he wants a case of them. There must be a way we can get him to lower his shields and rescue the captain without giving in to his demands. Any ideas?" she asks the crew at large.

“I have an idea. It’s a bit far-fetched, but it might work,” Sunset said, pulling Gem and Raven in close and whispering. When he finished, Gem and Raven nodded. “Make it so,” Gem said. “Miss Dazzle, hail that ship.”

Adagio touched her panel. “Channel open.”

“We agree to your terms. We have a case of Hamdingers ready to transport, and you will be allowed to proceed to the Aldebaran system unharmed. Federation ships don’t carry gold - pressed latinum on board, but we can have a courier meet you along your course. Is this agreeable to you?” Gem asked.

“This better not be a trick,” the rogue replied. “Okay, I’m moving into transporter range. You beam over the Hamdingers, and once I see that it’s not a trick I will release your captain.” The screen returned to the starfield.

Gem nods. "Miss Shimmer, meet me in the transporter room and prepare to execute Operation Mitchell," Gem orders. "If everything goes according to plan, we can have our captain back and the pirate sent off to be found by the proper authorities."

* * *

The crate materialized aboard the rogue ship, looking exactly sas it was supposed to, according to the pictures found in the archives. “Finally… it’s been so long...” the rogue captain said, rubbing his hands together as he approached the crate.

“And it’s going to be even longer,” Sunset said as Gem aimed her screwdriver at the rogue captain and restrained him with a magic beam. Sunset got out of the crate and went to where Captain Forrester was being held, secured with what looked like duct tape. Carefully removing the tape from his mouth, and a few mustache hairs as well, Sunset stepped back and looked the captain over. “He looks okay physically,” she called to Gem.

Gem nodded and tapped her comm badge. “Shadow to Icarus, four to beam over.” The four shimmered into nothingness.

* * *

“Captain’s log, stardate 78255.4. The rogue captain was identified as one Francis Conniff, an escapee from a mental health facility on Earth. How he managed to get this far into deep space is still a mystery, one which Starfleet Command will be puzzling over for quite some time to come.”

The bridge crew, plus Emerald, stood in Captain Forrester’s ready room. “You all performed admirably,” he said with a broad smile. “Nobody got hurt, no damage was done, and you have all shown what you are capable of. I want you all to take the rest of the week off and relax a bit, you’ve earned it.”

"All in a day's work, sir, thank you," Gem says with a smile. "Come, girls! I think a session on the holodeck sounds wonderful." And they head off, as the Icarus heads to its next adventure.


	9. Just What the Doctor Ordered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem meets her new chief medical officer, an Equestrian human like herself.

Captain Gemini Shadow walked through the corridor of the starship Endeavour, watching as the crew moved about. She had been taking time to visit each department aboard the ship, to get to see the crew performing their functions first-hand, and to meet the various department heads. Her tour had gone quite well, and as she walked along, she made her way toward the one department she had yet to visit: Sickbay.

Having taken the new chief medical officer aboard at Starbase 2196, Gem had been busy with other duties to properly greet the good doctor. She had heard that he was quite the prodigy, having graduated from medical school at the tender age of seventeen, interned at the finest hospital in Canterlot, performed his residency at the Mayo Clinic on Earth (one of the finer research facilities there was, Gem had learned through her studies), and served with distinction after completing Academy training. Even more startling was the fact that he was clone, just like she was, the only difference was he grew up in and around Canterlot while she had lived in Ponyville.

Entering the sickbay, Gem could see the medical team seated around a table in a small conference room. Striding around in front of a viewscreen displaying a diagram of a human and a pony, arrows and highlights pointing to various parts of the two diagrams, Doctor Dustin Hoofer addressed the medical staff. 

“So, as you can see, the basic thaumaturgical conductors all connect through synapses linked into the upper cerebral cortex, which provides fine control for targeting and fine motor control, with the magical pulses being channeled into the fingertips on human/equine clones and the horns of unicorns, and pray tell WHAT is so funny, Doctor, and I use that honorific laughingly?” He stopped next to a human, who had been snickering to himself during the lecture.

Looking around nervously, the young doctor cleared his throat and looked slightly embarrassed. “It's nothing, juts a little joke that popped up,” he said quietly.

Dustin glared at the young man. “I see. Please, share your joke with the rest of us, I'm sure we could all use a good laugh to distract us from the dull, banal lecture I am conducting that could only be beneficial to saving the lives of the command staff aboard this vessel!” He exaggerated a listening posture. “Please, Doctor, enlighten us with your wit, we all sit in rapt attention.” An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

A nurse caught Gem's eye, and Gem motioned for her to not say anything, instead watching with great interest how this particular exchange was about to unfold.

The doctor swallowed nervously. “I was ... well, I was just thinking if we were all assigned to this post because we all said we were good with animals.” 

Gem winced at that comment, and shivered as the room's temperature seemed to drop a good thirty degrees.

Dustin simply stared at the man, before beginning a soft chuckle, eventually letting it grow into a belly laugh. He was the only one in the room that dared to laugh, the rest frozen with stares of disbelief and shock. Wiping his eyes, Dustin said through chuckles, “Oh, that's priceless! Because I'm part pony ... and so is the command staff, by the way ... good with animals ...” 

Dustin dissolved into another fit of laughter before composing himself. “You Earthers ... such sharp wits for such tiny brains, I must admit. Much more creative in your insults than the ponies I grew up with.” 

He walked around and stood next to the doctor. “You know the most inventive insult they had for me at Canterlot Primary? 'The tailless baboon.' It's still a personal favorite of mine.” Dustin's voice grew more serious, and slightly menacing. “Tell, me my fine fellow, did they sharpen your rapier wit at Johns Hopkins? Because, during my time at Mayo, I actually was quite busy learning the finer points of medicine! Since you seem to be such the expert here, Doctor Doolittle, perhaps you could explain in detail how the thaumaturgical pathways can be used to trigger the 'flight or fight' response in equine-based life forms!” 

There was a very long silence. The doctor said nothing, too frightened was he to speak.

Dustin taps his foot impatiently. “Well? We're waiting! You need to think faster than that because it's fuck or walk! Your patient is dying and their only chance is to receive a massive amount of epinephrine into their systems! What do you do, Horse Whisperer?” 

Dustin's face was inches away from the young doctor's ear, a look of fury etched on his features. He stomped back to the diagram and pointed to two glands at the base of the neck. “Applying pressure at the base of the neck to the reservoirs on either side will send enough of a trigger to the patient's brain to stimulate the mammalian survival mode, sending impulses to the adrenal gland, releasing said amino acid into the body, raising blood pressure and heart rate while stimulating glucose consumption from stores within the body – BOOM! Patient survives!!” The entire gathering, Gem included, jumped at the boom.

Dustin extended a finger and used magic to levitate a pitcher of water closer to him. “As you can see, I am using my upper brain functions to grab this pitcher, move it through the air, and pour myself a refreshing bracer of aqua pura.” He takes the glass and drinks. “Ahh ... refreshing. Much like learning something new.” 

He lets the pitcher float lazily above the heads of the medical staff. “You're fresh off your residency, aren't you, Doctor?” Dustin asked. 

The young doctor nodded slowly. 

Dustin nodded. “I see. During my five years at Mayo, I wrote six research papers detailing the use of magical therapy in humans and equines alike. What did you do?” His question was met with silence. The pitcher stopped above the young doctor's head. “That's why I'm CMO ... and you're nothing.” 

With a tip, the contents of the pitcher poured over the doctor's head, the pitcher falling to the carpeted floor. “This will conclude today's inservice, we will assemble here next week at the usual time, do NOT be late, and anyone assisting the good doctor in cleaning up his mess will be disciplined quite harshly. Return to your stations.” Dustin strode out of the conference room and into an office opposite where Gem was standing.

A young nurse approached Gem. “Doctor Hoofer usually isn't like that, Captain. I'm sorry you had to see such a display of his temper. He's been waiting to meet you. Oh, and with all respect, he takes a very dim view of anyone barging in to his 'inner sanctum,' as he calls it.” She smiles. “I need to return to my duty station. With you indulgence, Captain .. ?”

Gem starts. “Oh, yes ... by all means, carry on.” The nurse walks past, and Gem makes her way to the office door. What sounds like symphony music can be heard from within. Gem rings the chime. “Enter,” Dustin calls out from within.

Gem opens the door and her ears are assaulted with a strange mixture of musical styles. Dustin quickly turns the music down and rises from his seat, the music softly playing in the background. “Ancient Earth music, helps me relax. Disco, I believe they called it. A pleasure to finally meet with you, Captain Shadow. Please, have a seat,” he said, indicating the chairs in front of his desk.

“An honor to meet you as well, Doctor Hoofer,” Gem said, amused as to the good doctor's taste in musical styles. She sits opposite Dustin. “I trust you've been settling in okay?”

“Ehh, it's had moments, as I'm sure you witnessed earlier,” Dustin said dismissively, “but overall it's been fine. So, what brings you to Tartarus's Tennis Courts today?”

Gem smiled, rather enjoying Dustin's sense of humor. “Oh, this is just an informal visit, getting to see the various departments, meet the department heads. I was actually hoping to meet you sooner, when you first came aboard, but I unfortunately had to speak to High Command.”

Dustin nodded. “So, how are you finding the medical department so far?” he asked, looking at Gem with no outward trace of emotion.

“Overall, I find it a well-managed, and tightly-run department, and I would expect no less from one of your stature,” Gem said, “although I was a bit taken aback by your handling of the little ... shall we say, 'incident' during your training class?”

Dustin betrayed no emotion. “And how would you have handled that situation, Captain?” he asked quietly.

Gem leaned back in her chair. “I would have taken a more private approach, perhaps cautioned him about his prejudicial remarks--”

“And I suppose you would have had a lovely tea party as well? Perhaps a hugging session later on? I'm sorry, but that's not my style.” Dustin rose from his chair. He perched on the edge of his desk, and picked up a PADD. Flipping it back and forth in his hands, he took a deep breath. “You really don't know what to make of me, do you, Captain?”

Gem was taken aback by this comment. “I don't follow, Doctor...”

Dustin chuckled. “Admit it, you think I've gone into the abyss. You think I'm two parasprites shy of a picnic. You're ready to set me up with an appointment to see the nice miss ship's counselor.” He peers deep into Gem's eyes. “As a doctor, I've learned to read facial expressions. The look on one's face can tell you volumes about your patient, even if the patient won't. Why? Because, every patient wants to downplay their illness or injury as No. Big. Deal.” 

He punctuates those words with light finger jabs in the direction of Gem's chest. He looks at the contents of the PADD before setting it back down. “I've been looking at your file. My prerogative as chief medical officer, and one I don't use lightly, I will assure you, I only look with good reason. This is your first real experience with humans outside of the Academy, isn't it? Never mind commanding a starship full of them.” 

He sits down in the chair next to Gem. “I've had a little more experience with humans and humanoids outside of the confines of the hallowed walls of our deal alma mater, and one thing is true, especially with humans: They will test you at every turn. They're seeking a weakness, and once they find it, they'll seize it, as a predator latches onto its next meal. The trick, my dear captain, is to show you can give as good as you get. Sometimes, the only way to do that is to humiliate them in front of their peer group, the bigger the humiliation the better. Establish yourself as the alpha, the top of the food chain, and they will respect that. You'll notice that our young friend has learned that going toe to toe with me isn't the best of career paths to be following, and to leave his tiny, narrow- minded thoughts behind from now on.”

Gem digested all of this, and nodded. “Fair enough, I can see your point. My only concern is that you're browbeating these poor people who are here not of their own volition, but by bureaucratic orders churned up from--”

Dustin stopped Gem, and passed over the PADD. “Captain,” he said with another wry chuckle, “I am the only conscript here. As you can see, each one of the medical staff volunteered to come here, to learn at the feet of the Federation's expert on human/equine physiology and thaumaturgy.” He scrolled through the names. “From the young doctor to the lowest intern, including the nurses and lab techs, all volunteer.” 

He places the PADD back on his desk. “Every one of them had a personal interview with me before being accepted to this assignment. Every one of them was warned about my eccentricities, my methods ... my charming personality and cutting wit.” He smirked. “They were all told that it was a challenge. Every thing they do with me will be a challenge. I will continue to challenge them, physically, mentally, intellectually, because it's only through challenge that they can grow, and possibly one day become as good, or even better, than me. That's what I want out of each of them, and they accepted my methods the day they were selected for my staff.”

Gem thought about all of this, and nodded. “I never considered that aspect of this. Thank you for sharing your philosophy with me, I think I can better see your way of thinking now. I can assure you, I will not interfere with your methods or procedures unless some gross violation of Starfleet regulations is alleged. I also don't foresee that ever happening.” Gem chuckled. “And here, I thought that grumpiness and snark was a trait of all doctors. It's nice to see at least one has sound reasoning for employing it.”

Dustin smiled, and went back behind his desk. He looked at some information on his datascreen. “Captain, when was your last physical examination?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Gem had to stop and think. “It has been a while, I will admit. I just never had the time to go for one, I was busy with command school.”

Dustin once again studied Gem. “'Your face, my captain, is as a book where men may read strange matters.' And may the Bard forgive me for stealing and re-purposing that quote. Not only do I have your medical file right here, but I can also see that every time you've been scheduled for a routine physical, you've asked to have the exam deferred until a later time.” 

He looked at Gem with genuine concern. “You're not overly fond of doctors, are you? Understandable, being poked and prodded seven ways from Sunday, making sure you're 'developing within normal human parameters,' I know all too well because I went through it too,” he said, making air quotes with his fingers. 

He went and knelt down beside Gem's chair. “May I call you Gem, at least in informal and private settings such as this?” he asked. “And if it makes it more comfortable, call me Dustin, or De-fib. I've had that one since medical school.” He shakes his head. “Reanimate one frog on dissection day, and the school never lets you forget it.”

Gem laughed softly. “Very well ... De-fib, permission granted.”

Dustin smiled and rested his hand on top of Gem's. “Gem, I give you my solemn word that as long as I am entrusted with your care, you will never be treated as just another biological experiment. You will be treated with the kindness and compassion deserved by everyone, regardless of rank or origin. Will you trust me, Gem?”

Gem nodded. “Yes. You are the only one that's said anything like that, and I can tell you really are sincere about it... of course I will trust you.”

“Splendid!” Dustin said with a smile. “Now, to cement our trust, you will report to Sickbay in two days' time for your physical. I need to establish a baseline to work with, given your last one is too old to be of any practical use.” Going back behind the desk, he taps a few places on his desk, the display changing with each touch. “I will need to examine the rest of the command staff too, again to establish a baseline.” He looks at Gem and smirks. “And, if you behave, I'll give you a lollipop when you're done.”

Gem laughs. “Okay, but only if I can pick the flavor.” She stands and extends her hand. “Doctor ... Dustin, it's truly been a pleasure to meet with you today, and I do hope we can be friends as well as colleagues.”

Dustin accepted her hand and shook it warmly. “Us freaks of nature have to stick together, don't we?” He smiled. “Remember, two days from today. Don't make me come and get you.” He gave Gem a serious look. “I'm serious, it won't be fun for anyone, except the bridge crew looking on.”

Gem nodded solemnly. “I'll be here, I promise. Good day.” With that, she turned and left Dustin's office.

Dustin sat back down and twirled in his chair. “Oh, I like her. This is going to be a fun cruise.” Sitting back up, he spoke, “Computer, load Dustin Playlist Number Six, and play once through.” The computer beeped in reply, and soon the air was full of classic funk sounds as Dustin went back to completing his reports.

* * *

Captain Gemini Shadow had been dreading this day. She had gone to great lengths to delay the inevitable, but today, she realized there was no dodging it: she had to report back to Sickbay for her physical examination. And she dreaded having to perform this duty. 

Doctor Hoofer's reasons were sound enough. The biobeds in Sickbay read from a baseline examination to determine overall health and aid in diagnosing and treating major diseases before they could establish a toe-hold on the affected person. They also aided in repairing trauma done to the body by mapping out how the bones and tissues behaved under normal, ideal conditions. 

Gem's last physical had been done quite a while ago, the day before she was to report for her in-space training aboard a starship. The Academy had not only mandated this, but pre-scheduled every cadet slated to go into space to have their physical done the day before. Needless to say, the cattle-like atmosphere in the examination areas was very unsettling to Gem, her past experiences with doctors notwithstanding. 

Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves, Gem entered Sickbay once the doors had opened with their familiar “swiiiiiish” sound. “Good day, Captain,” the nurse on duty at the reception station said, smiling. “How can we help you today?” 

Gem swallowed nervously. “I'm ... I'm here for my physical with Doctor Hoofer,” she said softly. 

The nurse nodded. “Okay, I'll let him know you've arrived, Wait here one moment, please.” The nurse rose and walked back to the doctor's office. Gem took another look around, and saw the medical team engage in their usual daily chores, from cleaning and calibrating the medical equipment to caring for a couple of unfortunate crew members who had suffered injuries while on duty. 

“Ah, I see we're cutting it right down to the wire, Captain,” Dustin said as he approached, snapping Gem out of her thoughts. “Good thing, too, as I was just preparing to get the net.” Approaching a terminal at the reception station, he began scrolling and tapping through various screens. As he was doing this, the nurse leaned in and whispered to Gem, “He wasn't joking about the net.” She gave a knowing nod, and Gem felt her heart rate accelerate a little bit more. 

“Okay Captain, we're all set for your baseline examination today. Nurse, would you escort the captain to the changing area, and once she's properly attired, take her to Exam One.” Dustin smiled at Gem. “I will be along once you're all ready.” With that, he returned to his office. 

The nurse led Gem to a small room with rows of storage lockers along the far wall. After Gem placed her uniform into one of the lockers and put on the exam gown, which had a Velcro closure all the way down the back, thank goodness, she was then escorted to the examination room. “Have a seat,” the nurse said, gesturing to a chair, “ and the doctor will be in shortly. If you'd like to read, we have a PADD with access to the ship's library in the holder on the counter.” The nurse then took her leave. 

About a minute later, Dustin entered with a different nurse. “Captain, this is Nurse Richards. She will be sitting in on today's exam to make sure there's no funny business. So, if you can manage to keep your hands to yourself, we shouldn't have any trouble.” He grinned. “So, are we ready?” 

"As I'll ever be," Gem says with a long-suffering sigh. Then she smiles. "I trust you, Doctor. I know you're not going to ask me any awkward questions, not like the last two doctors I've had." 

Dustin gets a deadpan look on his face. “Oh well .. there goes two pages of questions about your sexual habits.” He sees both Gem and Nurse Richards glaring at him. “I swear, no sense of humor ... okay, first off, hop up on the biobed and lay back. We need to get baseline readings on your vital signs and general physical health.” As Gem is hopping up on the biobed, Dustin asks, “So ... you grew up in Ponyville, what's it really like there?” 

Gem smiles, "Ooh, it was wonderful... the ponies were usually very nice, once they got over the shock... my sister and I attended school with our friends for a few years, but we had to be homeschooled after that, we simply got too large for the desks." She giggles. "In my teen years, I would have to bend down slightly just to enter most doorways!" She casts her mind back to her childhood. "My favorite time of year was summer... the warm breeze on my skin, blowing through my hair, the sun... going swimming with the girls... Dagi, Ari, and Sona were the best swimmers, being half siren and all." 

“That actually sounds quite nice,” Dustin said, waving a scanner over Gem's head and down along her torso. “I never got to visit there, but Dad used to talk about it a lot. He even knew your father, from what he tells me.” He checks the readings on the display above the bed and makes a few notes on a PADD. “I spent all my time in Canterlot, a great percentage of it cooped up in the castle. Don't get me wrong, the princesses are nice and all, but I really wanted to go and explore.” He chuckles. “Dad used to tease me about inheriting his wanderlust, and now that I think about it, I've traveled farther than he ever did in his career.” He makes a few more notes. “Okay, sit up, feet hanging over the edge of the bed, and let's do some basic mobility and neurological tests.” 

Gem nods, sitting back up with her feet hanging over the edge, as instructed. "Canterlot? Ooh, goodness... that can't have been pleasant. Sometimes I'd go with my father on business trips, the nobles there didn't think much of me, especially Blueblood." She rolls her eyes. 

Dustin chuckles at the name Blueblood. “Yeah ... I used to call the princesses 'auntie,' used to drive him insane!” He holds Gem's head still and feels along the back of her neck. “But then again, I never really had a choice in the matter, and the kidnapping attempt pretty much sealed my fate. Look down at the floor, please.” He looks at the top of Gem's head, then moves her head back up to face him. He produces a penlight from his pocket. “Stare straight ahead, and follow the penlight with your eyes only.” He moves the light sideways in both directions, up and down, and to both diagonals. “So far, so good ... hold your arms out straight, palms up, please.” 

Gem holds her arms out, palms up. "Mm... talk about birds and gilded cages. Speaking of pets, I used to have a goldfish when I was younger... I called her Goldie. Whenever I came home from school, she'd swim to one end of her tank and wave her fins at me." She smiles at the memory. "How I miss her..." 

“I had to share pets. Auntie Celestia let me play with Philomena, and Auntie Luna let me play with her pets when she had them.” He takes out a small reflex hammer and gently taps Gem's arms. “Okay, relax your arms for me.” He does the same to her knees, then makes a few more notes. “Goldie sounds like a cutie ... as far as fish can be called cute.” He takes an otoscope form the tools table and looks inside Gem's ears. “So, what was it like playing with other kids voluntarily?” he asked. 

"It was fun, for the most part. We mostly played with earth ponies, since unicorns had their magic, and pegasi had their flight... we played with unicorns more when we discovered our own magical abilities." 

“I envy you, Captain. All of my playmates were conscripts, children of the servants and maids, drafted to go to 'school' in the palace with me and be my playmates. I had one straight up tell me that he only played with me because the princess told him to.” He sighed, and stood in front of Gem with the otoscope. “Open and say 'aaaaaahhhh...' “ he said, looking with the light while Gem did so. He made a few more notes. He retrieved the opthalmoscope and went back to Gem. “Look straight ahead, please.” He looked in both of Gem's eyes. “Okay, routine question time. Do you suffer from headaches, blurred vision, feelings of dizziness, fatigue, or nausea?” he asked, making more notes on the PADD. 

"No, no, no, no, and no," Gem says promptly. "What a rude little scamp he must've been... conscripted into playing... how dreadful! They should've had Pinkie come over, she would've found friends for you in a heartbeat. Real ones, too!" 

Dustin notes her responses. “Pinkie used to do my birthday parties. I imagine she did yours as well. Even after I went away to medical school she still sent a cake over to the dorm.” He smiled. “I don't think the Federation ever got over her trying to stow away on that Earth-bound freighter not long after I left for my residency. And she would have gotten away with it, too, if she hadn't thrown herself a 'super special spacey stowaway' party.” He stepped over to an unoccupied wall. “Come over here, please, and stand straight with your back to the wall.” 

Gem laughs as she goes to stand with her back to the wall. "I used to get care packages every month from Equestria. Snacks from Sugarcube Corner, some apples from Sweet Apple Acres, some bottles of cider when it was that time of year, everything from finery to casual wear and underclothes from Rarity, a book from Auntie Twilight, a CD from Aunt Emerald, animal plushes from Fluttershy, Wonderbolt gear from Rainbow Dash, and of course, things from home that my parents thought I might need. About half my wardrobe comes from Rarity, bless her... she even modified my uniforms when they came in, with new spells she and Twilight developed to increase protection of the wearer by about a hundred fold. It came in handy during the two years of shipboard training." 

“Interesting.”” He makes more notes, then stands in front of Gem, noting her overall posture. He then moves to the side. “Okay, bend and touch the toes, please.” He watches as she does so, and makes more notes. “All right, almost done ... stand on your left foot, raise your right leg.” She does so. “Hop on your left foot.” Gem complies. “Cluck like a chicken.” More glares. “Good, you aren't susceptible to suggestion. Okay, you can stop now.” 

Gem looks surprised as she goes to sit down again, "Are we done already? Or was there more?" 

“Nope, that's all I need. You can get dressed, and come see me in my office when you're ready so we can go over the results.” Dustin smiled. “See, I told you it wasn't gonna be that bad.” 

"Best physical ever," she says with a smile. "Treating me as I am: a living being, not a science experiment with the last two." She goes out to get dressed. 

Some minutes later, she goes to Dustin's office, back in her uniform once more.  

Dustin is sitting at his desk, apparently typing from looking at the motion of his fingers as they tap on the console. “Come in, Captain,” he says when the door chime rings. Soft music plays in the background. “Have a seat, I'll be right with you.” He keeps typing, finishing up quickly. “Computer, save record, and lower music volume to 15 percent.” The computer beeps in reply. “Gem, I've looked over your results, and ... I'm afraid I have some bad news.” 

Gem pales and sinks into a chair, too distracted to notice one of her favorite songs was on the radio. "Oh good grief... what is it?" 

“I'm afraid you're gonna live ... a long and quite adventurous life.” He grins. “Gem, your results are perfect, you have no major medical issues, and forgive the phrase, you're as healthy as a horse.” 

Gem laughs and neighs playfully, doing a very accurate impression of a neighing pony. "Being half horse, as are you, I can't say I'm surprised!" She hugs him. "What can I ever do to repay you?" 

Dustin shrugs. “Don't die. I hate being proven wrong.” He grins. “Given your age and overall health, I want to schedule another check in about two years time, assuming you haven't had enough of me and put me off in an asteroid field somewhere. I also want you to promise me that if anything seems out of the ordinary with you, you will come see me immediately. Now that you know that the good doctor means what he says, I expect that shouldn't be an issue.” 

Gem nods, saluting. "Absolutely, Dustin. I'll call you. Assuming you don't find out before I do, of course." She winks playfully. 

“Gem, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were flirting with me. Which is okay because I know what a babe magnet I truly am.” He strikes an exaggerated bodybuilder-type pose. “So, I guess that's about it unless you have any questions for me...” 

Gem giggles, "Sorry doctor, but I'm already married... to my post, that is. Perhaps someday, on any of the many planets we might explore, I shall find love... but in the meantime, I have my ship, my crew, and my friends. What more could a girl want?" At his question, she shakes her head. "That will be all, I think. Thank you!" She exits, heading back down the hall to the bridge. 

Dustin grins and watches Gem leave. “Nah, I'm totally out of her league. Still...” The music changes, and Dustin goes back to typing his medical reports.


	10. Courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem discusses the meaning of courage with a young Terran girl named Mandy Tanner.

The engines of the USS Endeavour thrummed beneath Gem's boots as she walked through the halls of her ship, looking around at all the other crew members, and in some cases, their families.

As she walked, a little girl no older than 12 bumped right into her, and squeaked when she saw who she had walked into. "Oh! Oh my! I'm sorry Cap'n Shadow, I didn't see you!"

Gem simply laughed and patted the girl on the head, "That's alright, little one. I was so distracted, I didn't see you either! How about we walk together?"

"That would be great!" the girl said, and she fell into step beside Gem.

"What are you doing wandering the halls, anyway?" Gem wondered. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"All finished," the girl said simply. "Mom said I could explore, but not to get too lost."

"Now you won't get lost," Gem says with a smile, as the two continue their walk. "What's your name, my dear?"

"Mandy," replied the girl. "Mandy Tanner."

Gem nodded, "Pleased to meet you, Mandy Tanner."

"It's great to meet you too!" Mandy said, "I never thought I'd get to meet the captain, I always thought you sat in that chair all day and made big decisions."

"Not always," Gem chuckles. "I like to get out and see what the rest of the ship is up to. It's humbling."

They were quiet for a while as they wandered the halls. Every so often a crew member would pass by and ask Gem for advice if necessary, which she was happy to give. After a while, Mandy finally asked a question: "Captain, where's your phaser?" 

Gem blinked. "My phaser? Oh... I don't usually wear them. Instead, I have this." She showed off the magic screwdriver, "It's called a magic screwdriver. It helps me do magic."

"Can you show me?" Mandy asked.

"Certainly!" Gem smiled and pressed the button on the side of the device, and moved it around like a wand. It buzzed, and a nearby vase of flowers moved around in circles with the screwdriver's movements. "I don't have to use it all the time, but I like to... I can also use my hands." She clapped her hands, and the flowers in the vase transformed from daisies to sunflowers. 

Mandy looked on, amazed. "Is that way you don't have a phaser? 'Cause you can just do magic instead?!"

"Only half the reason," Gem admits. "The other half is a long story. Want me to tell it to you?"

"Yes please!"

Gem nodded. "Come with me to my quarters then, and I'll do what I can."

* * *

In no time, the two were sitting in armchairs in the captain's ready room, surrounded by candles, hardwood, bookshelves, and in front of them, a plate of cookies, with a cup of tea for herself and milk for her young guest.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning," Gem said, taking a cookie and dunking it into her cup. "I was born on a planet called Equus, in a country known as Equestria. My father's name was Orion, and he was a pony, as were most of the other creatures in Equestria. When I was about your age, he read for me one of his favorite books, an Earth story called "To Kill A Mockingbird." One of the characters, a father, says to his two children after shooting a dog, "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know that you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."

Gem took another bite of cookie and continued. "My father had been in Starfleet before me... Indeed, this used to be his ship, until he passed it on to me. Though I had heard many tales of his time in space, I had not known that he had made many enemies, as well as friends. I hadn't understood what he meant by that quote, until a group of rogue ponies came to our house..."

* * *

The scene transitioned to a chilly October day in Ponyville. Raven and Gem were walking home from school discussing the homework they would have to do that afternoon. Walking through the front door, Gem opened her mouth to announce that they were home, when shouts from the main sitting room stopped her. She froze, and raised a finger to her mouth, indicating silence. Raven nodded and they listened closely.

"I'm telling you, I refuse to give you those blueprints!" Orion was shouting.

"Listen, pony," replied another voice. "The Romulan military isn't something you want to cross. What we want, we get."

"Not today," Orion says, continuing to hold firm. 

"Then I guess we'll just  have to do this the hard way, won't we?" The two other ponies aimed their phasers and fired, point-blank. Orion fell to the floor with a thump, and the two other unicorns lifted him up with their magic.

"GET YOUR HOOVES OFF OUR DAD!" Raven yells, leaping on the first unicorn, fists raised. His partner fired his phaser again, and Raven went still. 

Gem stood stock still, too scared to move.

The two spies look at Gem, and smirk. "Ooh, she's one of those... The clones. We could take her... The boss would love that!"

"Let's do it," said the first pony, and they took some ropes and gags from their saddlebags with magic, beginning to bind her up.

Then all the lights went out, and the room went dark. Two teal eyes appeared in a corner of the room. "Kidnap her, and thou shalt have far worse to deal with," says a low voice. “Drop thy weapons, and we shall be merciful. Refuse, and thou shalt wish our sister ’twas dealing with thee.”

“We ain’t scared of you,” said the first pony foolishly. 

“Prepare to be,” Luna growled, and she used her magic to immobilize the two would-be kidnappers and then teleported them away to a prison cell, freeing Gemini shortly thereafter. “Art thou well, dear one?” she asked, looking concerned.

Gem shook her head, clinging to Luna’s neck for dear life.

Luna sighed and stroked the frightened girl with her wing. “Come with us… we shall revive thy sister and father and explain to thee what has happened. 

Gem nodded mutely and climbed aboard Luna’s back as she worked.

* * *

Mandy had dropped her cookie, too surprised to finish it. “Oh goodness… that’s terrible!”

“I was frightened beyond words… I am thankful their phasers were set only to stun, killing them would not have helped their goals in the least bit. Luckily, he and my sister were perfectly alright, just unconscious.”

“What did your dad mean by blueprints?” Mandy wondered.

“When he served aboard the USS Enterprise, he worked with Geordi La Forge to modify their warp core so that it worked with both traditional dilithium crystals and Equestrian magic, like the kind I demonstrated earlier,” Gem explained. “He later repeated the process with this ship. The Romulans got wind of this and sent spies to Equestria, intending to either steal or have him give them the blueprints he’d drawn up, like I told you.” She sighed. “After that day, I swore I would never use a phaser, or even touch one.” Then a grim smile appeared. “Though of course, fate had other designs.”

The scene shifted once more to the halls of Starfleet Academy. Gem was sitting in the office of her Weapons tutor, a Professor Wesson, who was looking over her files on a PADD. “You’ve passed all the coursework and theoretical examinations, Miss Shadow,” he was saying, “But you have yet to complete your required hours in the practice lab… why is this?”

Gem gulped. Beads of sweat started to run down her face as she thought of that terrible day so long ago.

The professor waited. “Miss Gemini? Are you alright?”

Gem finally gained the courage to speak, “Yes, sir… I… It’s a long story…” And she told him of that nightmarish afternoon.

Professor Wesson sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. “While I am sincerely sorry that you had to go through such an ordeal, I’m afraid that cannot be used as an excuse to avoid doing your class work… As I am sure you know, a Starfleet officer must be trained in all forms of combat, including weapon use. While I have no doubt that your, ah, magical skills are of considerable strength, you must go through the same training process as every other student at this Academy.” He met Gemini’s eyes. “I will give you three weeks to complete your practice hours, Miss Shadow. If you continue to refuse, I will be forced to fail you, regardless of your exemplary grades, and you will be made to take this course again next semester. Do I make myself clear?”

Gem nodded. “Yes sir, thank you sir.”

Wesson nodded. “Very well, you are dismissed.”

Gem got to her feet and left the office, then began to walk down the hall toward her room, trying to stop herself from shaking.

* * *

When Gem arrived at the practice range the next day, she found Adagio already there, phaser in hand and facing the red and white target a few feet away. Hearing footsteps, she turned and smiled. "Good to see you finally made it, Gem," she said. "You okay?"

Gem shrugged. "As well as can be expected, I suppose... It took a bit of arm-twisting."

Adagio frowned and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "This really has you spooked, doesn't it?" At Gem's nod, she placed her phaser in Gem's hand. "Listen... Just because you're trained to use a weapon doesn't mean you have to use it. Think of it as a backup in case we can't use our magic. I mean, look at Captain Picard, he's been doing this for longer than either of us, and he rarely picks up a weapon." 

Sensing uncertainty, she tried a different angle. "Listen... Just because the ponies who attacked your dad were bad, doesn't mean you will be. Far from it. You're a good person Gem, we all know this about you. Firing a phaser doesn't make you a bad person. The phaser is only as bad as the person who wields it. Does that make sense?"

Gem nodded, her fingers tightening around the handle. "I understand."

Adagio smiled, "Splendid! Now come on, we can practice together."

The two girls worked for the next few hours, with Adagio providing a quick refresher course in the art and science of phaser shooting. Gem managed to at least hit the target, if not the bullseye, but after a few more hours of work, even that had improved. By the end of the week, Gem had successfully managed to keep up with the rest of the class.

* * *

"So, even though you're a very good shot, you still don't carry a phaser with you?" Mandy asked.

Gem nodded, "Only in cases where I think it may be needed, like a few weeks ago when we went back in time to the days of James T. Kirk and his Enterprise. I needed the phaser then because I knew the Klingons of that era were still our enemies, rather than our friends. Otherwise, I prefer to pursue a more peaceful way of doing things, sometimes with the aid of friendship magic."

Mandy blinked. "I'd ask what friendship magic is, but I think my mom is gonna start worrying where I am soon!"

Gem laughed and gave Mandy a quick hug. "Then you had better run along then, Miss Tanner. Don't worry, if you want to come visit me again, do so whenever you like. My door is always open!"

"Thanks, Captain Shadow! You're the best!" Mandy beamed as she headed back toward the door. 

"I do what I can," Gem calls back, waving goodbye. The Endeavor flew on toward its next grand adventure.


	11. Lean On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An incident on the bridge leads Gem to threaten Sonata with taking her off the ship, and for Sonata to run into the arms of Dustin, seeking comfort.

“Captain’s log, stardate 80614.8. The Endeavor has just returned from Starbase 426, where we have dropped off Ambassador Pavel Chekov after his attempted betrayal of the Federation. The mood around the ship is less than cheerful.”

"Miss Dusk, how fast are we going?" Gem asked, as the USS Endeavor floated through space. 

Sonata glanced at her screen, trying to stifle a yawn and failing. "Warp two-no, three, ma'am." 

Gem frowned. "Is it warp two or three?" 

"Definitely warp three, Captain," Sonata confirmed. "Sorry about that." She yawned again. The last few days had been very hard on the crew, and tensions were running high. Even Gem, usually cool under pressure, was struggling to keep her composure. 

"And are our shields holding?" Gem asked, moving on to the next phase of the checkup. 

Sonata glanced at the screen again. "50 percent... No, one hundred." 

Gem frowned some more. "Miss Dusk, when you go off duty in a few hours, I want you to report to sick bay. As you know, our next mission will be very intense, and I need you at top mental condition if we're going to be successful. Is that clear?" 

"With all due respect captain, I'm fairly certain I don't need to see a doctor," Sonata said, without thinking. 

The bridge went silent. Every crew member turned their heads, watching as the two conversed. The air seemed to chill. 

"Ensign, I am worried about your health. I know you haven't been sleeping well these last few nights, and-" 

"I'm telling you, ma'am, I do not need to see a doctor!" Sonata slammed her fist down on the desk. 

Gem's comm. badge beeped. "Captain Shadow, we need you on deck sixteen," said Emerald's voice. 

"On my way," Gem said tersely, before looking back to Sonata. "Report to my ready room immediately, Ensign. I'll deal with you when I return." She got up and left the room, the door swishing open and closed behind her. 

* * *

The atmosphere in the ready room was tense. No music played, and while the candles were still lit, the lack of music and the largely empty sky outside gave the room a dark, 1lonely look. Sonata was sitting by herself in one of the comfy chairs, afraid of what would happen next. 

Finally, Gem stepped inside. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her body language tense. Sonata could just feel the waves of anger radiating from her, and for some reason, that scared her. She had never seen Gem like this before. Her boots clumped on the hardwood floor, and she stood in front of Sonata, glaring down at her. Then she spoke, deceptively calm: "Do you remember the first day you came aboard this ship? I'd known you had a talent for the helm when we were in school together, but I never saw how well you knew every control, every display until that day. I knew then that you belonged on the Bridge. And then, later, when I decided to make you an Ensign, I was convinced that you could be an outstanding officer. And I never questioned that conviction... until now." 

She paused, and Sonata opened her mouth to speak, getting as far as "Cap-" before being cut off by Gem's continued rant. 

"I'm going to make this simple for you, Miss Dusk: You will be relieved from duty for the next two days, during which time your place will be taken by one of our new Ensigns. If, at the end of that time, I feel you haven't shaped up enough to resume command, we'll drop you off at the next Starfleet outpost we come to, and your time with us will end. Do I make myself clear?" 

Sonata couldn't look at Gem now. She only nodded.

"Do you have anything you wish to say in your defense?" 

Sonata had to think about that one. Finally she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm the best helmswoman in my class, and you know it! If we weren't so far from that outpost, I'd pack my bags and leave right now! If your idea of command is to threaten people with expulsion if they don't do what you tell them, then I don't want you as my captain!" She ripped her comm. badge from her uniform and flung it at Gem's feet. "You're a better person than that, Gemini. We all know that about you. You're letting this job go to your head. And if you don't try and stop it, you won't be the captain of anything." She turned and stalked away, leaving Gem alone.

* * *

Ten Forward was busier than usual on this day, the crew needing a way to relieve some of the tension of the past few missions. Here, the crew was able to relax and temporarily remove themselves from the restrictions of their duties. Laughing and chatting amongst themselves, the stresses melted away while the large viewports allowed those within to watch the stars streak by as the Endeavour made her way through the inky depths of deep space. 

Ensign Sonata Dusk warily entered the lounge, casting her gaze at all those that had gathered. All ranks were present, save for the higher-ranked command staff. Good, she thought to herself. After what happened to me today, I'm not really in the mood to see any of them, even if they are basically family. If ever there was a good time to try to cut loose and forget about helming a starship for a little while, this was it. 

She stepped to the bar and ordered a drink. While the bartender was busy making her order, she looked around for a familiar, friendly face. She really didn't see anyone she knew, or anyone that seemed like they'd be interested in having someone else barging in on their private conversations. She did spy a familiar face seated near the viewports, sipping a drink and staring out at the starfield. Yes, she thought, that looked like Doctor ... what's his name, Hoover? Hoofer? Yes, that's it, Hoofer. She wasn't sure, she had only heard that he was another Equestrian human, and that seemed her best bet for company at the moment. 

Doctor Dustin Hoofer had not been having the best of days, either. His frustration with the human race in particular, and all species in the universe in general, had come to a head during a routine conference call with Starfleet Medical. It seems that all a good Earth doctor has to do these days is sit around and write silly reports so the higher-ups can sit around and look like they're doing important work. Who cares about all of this “patient care” nonsense, anyway? And if you don't create enough unneeded and redundant reports every day? Celestia help you, they might actually give you a Stern Talking To, which is exactly what happened during that call. Dustin sighed. He was happy to be out of that infernal office, and by golly, he was going to have some fun and relax even if it killed him. 

“Excuse me, Doctor Hoofer? Would it be okay if I joined you?” Dustin turned away from the viewport to see a light-blue-hued woman standing at his table, holding a drink in her hand. Ah, a fellow countrypony...human...clone.... he thought. He made a motion to the empty chair. Sonata smiled and sat down. 

“Thank you, Doctor, I just didn't know anyone else well enough to ... okay, I really don't know you either, but we're from the same place, and I thought ... “ Sonata's voice trailed off. 

Dustin smiled. “It's quite all right, Miss ... Dusk, is it? I think I remember you, you were in for a physical a few days ago, am I right?” 

Sonata nodded. “Yes, Doctor Anderson was the one that did that. He said you normally did the physicals for the Equestrians, but you were busy that morning.” 

Dustin sighed. “Yes, apparently getting my daily butt-chewing from Starfleet Medical  
leaves me very little time to actually do meaningful things, like seeing patients or  
scratching myself...” Sonata giggled. “But, what's done is done. Doctor Anderson, he wasn't ... rude or anything, was he?” Dustin asked. 

“Oh no, in fact, he was quite nice to me the whole time,” Sonata said. 

“Oh good, then I don't have to hurt him,” Dustin said with a serious face. “At least, not for this.” 

“He was very professional and nice to me, Doctor Hoofer,” Sonata quickly added. Dustin leaned in so he could speak quietly and still be heard by Sonata. “Okay, first of 

all, outside of sickbay, and any time you see me in civilian clothing, or in this place, I am simply Dustin. No rank, no pretense, just me. Second of all, Miss Dusk, I would very much like permission to call you by your first name under similar circumstances.” He leaned back and extended a hand. “Hi, I'm Dustin, and you are?” 

“Sonata Dusk, but you can call me Sonata,” she said, taking his hand and giving a light shake. 

“A pleasure, Sonata,” Dustin said, giving her hand a gentle reassuring squeeze before releasing. “So, what type of debauchery and otherwise insubordinate deeds did you do today?” 

Sonata was flustered for a moment, but quickly composed herself. “Why do you think that happened?” she asked. 

“Sonata, I know all too well the look on your face. It's the look of someone that either was dumped by their current beau, or they got yelled at by the big brass. I know this because I put that look on about three times a week, and not for the first reason I told you.” Dustin leaned in. “What did the captain yell at you for?” 

Sonata sighed, trying to hold back the tears she didn't shed earlier. “I made two simple  
mistake. It wasn't even critical, it wouldn't have affected anything, but she made me feel  
like I didn't know how to do my job. And, because of everything that happened, and when she suggested I report to sickbay, I may have snapped at her.” Dustin winced. “And then, she gave me a lecture about professionalism and then she relieved me of duty.” 

“Sometimes, it's best if you let the emotions out,” Dustin said, offering an old-style handkerchief. “You can keep that, by the way, I can get another.” He sat while Sonata let her tears flow, sobbing softly into the handkerchief. 

After a few minutes, when Sonata seemed to be composing herself, Dustin placed one of his hands over hers. “Feeling a little better now?” he asked, true concern upon his face. 

Sonata smiled through puffy eyes and nodded. 

“Tell you what, why don't I get us a couple more drinks and then we can talk about growing up in the land of pastel-colored ponies,” Dustin offered. 

Sonata nodded again, and managed to say, “That sounds nice." 

There's something about his touch, Sonata thought to herself after Dustin had left to get the drinks. Not the healer's touch, no ... this felt more personal, like he truly cares about me as a person and not just some poor damsel in distress. She studied him while he stood at the bar. Doesn't hurt that he's kinda cute, too. She shook her head at the last thought. Whoa, too fast. Let's get to know him first. 

Dustin had felt something, too. He pondered it while he stood at the bar. Did I really feel myself get all warm and squishy inside when I touched her hand? She is cute, I admit, but ... cute without substance? Yeah, tried that a few times, and look how well that worked out for me. Let's see how deep 

the well goes, maybe because I could see myself with her for a long time to come... Dustin's thoughts were broken by the bartender bringing him the drinks. He nodded a thank you and headed back to the table. 

Sonata had cleaned herself up a bit, looking less like someone that had suffered a major emotional breakdown. She gratefully accepted her drink. “Thank you, Dustin,” she said with a grin. “So, are we gonna swap stories about living in Equestria, like you said we were?” 

“Truth be told, I plan to live vicariously through your stories, as I didn't see much of it except for parts of Canterlot and the stone walls of the royal palace. You grew up in Ponyville, right?” he asked. 

Sonata's eyes lit up. “You lived in the palace? With the princesses?” She was awestruck. “That must have been something! I'd only met them one time, and that was right before I shipped out to the Academy. Most of the time, they dealt with my moms.” 

Dustin shrugged. “It's not all it's cracked up to be. My dad was pretty much a permanent resident, being something of a war criminal and all.” Seeing Sonata's wide-eyed expression, he quickly added, “Not by the ponies, but the changelings. They tried to grab me one day when I was heading to school. I was fortunate that some off-duty guards were nearby and saw what was going on, and they were able to put a stop to it. So, from that day on, I became a prisoner of the palace, just like Dad.” He sipped his drink. “Enough about my depressing childhood, tell me about life in Ponyville. Dad used to talk about it now and then, it sounds like a wonderful place.” 

Sonata nodded blankly. “Huh? Oh yeah, Ponyville ... sorry, I got all caught up in that whole kidnapping story you told.” She looked down at the table. “Sorry ... I guess I truly am a scatterbrain. Maybe the captain was right.” 

Dustin placed his hand over Sonata's again. There it is again, they both thought. “Listen. Anyone can have a bad day. You, me, even the captain. One thing I've noticed about her is she's an incredible perfectionist in her personal life, and that spills over into her command style. There's ways to work with that. Don't throw your career away for silly mistakes, Sonata. And, at the risk of sounding incredibly forward, I would miss you if you were to leave because I really do care about you, so much so that my brain is letting my innermost thoughts slip forward into my conversation, and I hope you won't hate me for it.” Now, it was Dustin's turn to blush and look down at the table. 

Sonata blushed. “You're really a sweetie if you truly mean what you say and aren't saying it for a quickie fling or just to cheer up the poor, lowly ensign.” 

“I'm not,” Dustin said softly. “And, I really want to hear about your life in Ponyville, too. I want to hear all that you care to tell me.” 

Sonata pshaw'd. “My stories aren't as fascinating as yours was, why would you be interested in hearing them?” 

Dustin looked Sonata straight in the eyes. “Because they're about you.” 

Sonata smiled a deep, genuine smile, and began to talk about her adventures with Gem and the others growing up in Ponyville. Dustin listened intently as she described playing with the other foals, the teasing they received for being different, life with two famous musicians, and ultimately, her decision to join Starfleet. Dustin reciprocated by detailing life under the roof of the royal sisters, his entering medical school and the ribbing he took for not only being the youngest one there but human to boot, his decision to leave and finish his education on Earth and the troubles he faced there, the heartbreak of hearing his mother had died while he was on assignment at the far reaches of the Gamma Quadrant, and of his posting to the Endeavour when it was learned that the Equestrian humans would need a doctor that could best tend to their special physiology. 

The two laughed, occasionally shed tears, and drank together. Neither one was in any particular hurry to leave, and that suited them just fine. Sonata was practically in hysterics listening to Dustin describe some of his antics while training at Starfleet Medical. 

“... and that's how I learned the hard way to never mix powerful laxatives and Indian cuisine,” Dustin said, rather embarrassed, while Sonata continued to laugh. Dustin shook his head. “It took that poor decon crew three days to finally get that restroom back in a state so that the regular custodial crew could get it cleaned.” 

Sonata touched Dustin's arm. “I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just that ...the absurdity of it all...” She once again dissolved into laughter. 

“No, actually, you're laughing at me, and at the absurdity of it all. It's quite all right,” he said, patting Sonata's hand. “Actually, looking back at it, I think that's when I first developed my dislike of Stern Talking To's.” He exaggerated the final words, affecting a pompous accent. Getting serious for a moment, he leaned close and asked Sonata, “Look, I can talk to Captain Shadow tomorrow if you want me to, or at least find out what Starfleet bug crawled up her butt and died. In my professional opinion, I think the both of you had a lot of unresolved stress and it all came to a point on the bridge. I won't interfere if you absolutely don't want me to, but if you agree, I can at least try to get her to re-think kicking you off the ship.” 

“Y-you'd do that for me?” Sonata asked, surprised. Dustin nodded, and Sonata practically bounced in her seat. “Oh, thank you, Dustin, that would be a big help!” she said cheerfully before leaning in and kissing Dustin on the cheek. 

Stunned by the sudden outburst of affection, Dustin and Sonata just looked at each other, their faces turning a pinkish hue. “Um, I mean ... thank you, Doctor Hoofer, that's very kind of you.” 

Dustin stammered for a moment, before saying, “It's ... it's quite all right, Miss Dusk. Always glad to be of service.” As the bartender announced last call, Dustin looked at Sonata. “How improper would it be if I were to walk you back to your quarters?” he asked. 

“Oh ... I imagine it would be quite scandalous,” Sonata replied. 

“Well, in that case ... “ Dustin rose from his seat and extended a hand to Sonata. “Would you like to be scandalous and improper with me tonight?” he asked, a mischievous grin upon his face. Sonata mirrored his expression, and took his hand. “I would be delighted to do so, sir,” she said, rising from her seat. 

The two walked back to the crew's quarters, stopping in front of Sonata's door. “Thank you again for everything, Dustin .. or is ti Doctor now, I'm not sure...” Sonata said quietly. 

“It's still Dustin,” he replied with a smile. “Sonata, I had a lovely time tonight, and if you are amenable to this idea, I would like to see you again very soon. I find your company exquisite, and you personally very captivating. It's almost as if I'm under some kind of spell with you.” 

Sonata giggled. “Siren DNA can do that, or so I've been told. And yes, I would love to go out again with you. That is, assuming I'm still on board two days from now.” Her demeanor changed and she hung her head. 

Dustin tipped her head up with two fingers under her chin. “I'll talk to the captain. Things will work out, I assure you. Now, I'll put on my doctor's aura for a moment and prescribe rest and recreation until you are scheduled to speak with the captain again. Understood?” 

Sonata grinned, and nodded. “Yes, Doctor.” She wrapped him in a tight hug. “Goodnight, Dustin. You've really made me feel better.” 

Dustin returned the hug, enjoying holding Sonata close. “Good, another cure for my journal,” he joked. He released the hug and smiled. “Goodnight, Sonata.” He turned and walked back to the turbolift as Sonata entered her quarters. 

* * *

“I seem to recall, not too long ago in fact,” Captain Shadow said, sipping her tea, “a certain doctor telling me that our styles of managing personnel were worlds different. I agreed then not to interfere with your methods.” 

“Captain, this is not about methodology, this is about the crew's well-being,” Dustin retorted, sipping a cinnamon-spiced latte. “A distraught crew member comes to me and tells me that the mean ol' captain practically bit her head off for a couple of simple, easily fixed, and quickly caught mistakes? And then threatens to have her put off the ship at the next port? Why would you do that, Captain? Has the plank not come in yet?” 

Gem sighed. “Doctor .. .Dustin, please, we've all been pushed to our limits--” 

“Being pushed to your limits is no reason to push someone else over the edge,” Dustin interrupted. “It's a good thing she found me, or I can almost guarantee you'd have found her in a less pleasing manner this morning.” He rose and began to pace. “I know exactly how bad this crew has been pushed, stressed, tested, and overworked over the past few missions. Anyone can see it just be looking in at Ten Forward. Even after the synthahol is shut down for the night, the place is still packed. Don't believe me?” He straightened up. “Computer. Announce current occupancy of Ten Forward.” 

“There are currently seventy-five people accounted for in Ten Forward,” the computer intoned. 

Gem sighed. “Okay. I do admit tempers flared a bit yesterday, and I may have overreacted, but that's still no way for an ensign to talk to her captain. There are regulations in place aboard this ship dealing with chain of command, and proper protocol for addressing superior officers. When she agrees to follow those regulations, and issues a full apology to me, I will allow her to return to her duty. Until then, she is still relieved.” She took another sip of her tea. “Is that what you wanted to hear, Doctor?” 

Dustin shook his head and took another swallow of coffee. “Gem, I'm not here so you can placate me, I'm here to not only make sure Ensign Dusk isn't being put off the ship, but to make sure you're okay as well. My duty is to the physical and mental health of every crew member aboard, from the lowliest ensign right up to the ship's captain. And, from our meeting and subsequent talks, I know that those actions are very unlike you.” 

Gem nodded. “You're quite correct. I just wish I had a way to relax like everyone else aboard this ship. I can't go to Ten Forward because I'd put everyone on their guard, 'don't screw up too much or the captain will get ya.' Books and music only go so far to relieve stress…” 

“What about the holodeck?” Dustin suggested. Gem stared at him, confused. “You mean to tell me, you've never investigated setting up a scenario for yourself on the holodeck?” Dustin asked, astounded. 

Gem shook her head. “Never really had the time to get anything set up,” she admitted. 

Dustin still looks amazed. “My professional opinion? Make some time! Make a whole world just for you, do what you want to do without worrying about the pressures of command, and use it when you get overworked and need a break. Take your frustrations out there, or just create a fantasy world for yourself. Just ... don't blow up at the crew any more, it's not good for anyone.” 

Gem nodded. “Advice noted, Doctor. Now then ... how do you feel about Ensign Dusk?” she asked.

Dustin looked nonchalant. “How do you mean, Captain?” he returned. 

“I mean, I have heard that you two were quite cuddly in Ten Forward last night and I was wondering how much of that influenced your visit today,” Gem said slyly. 

Dustin remained stoic. “Captain, my personal feelings for Ensign Dusk are not the issue here, nor were they a factor in my visit. My visit is simply to determine the mental status of the captain of the Endeavour, and perhaps ask her to re-think her harsh words of the day before. Having said my peace, with your indulgence, I shall return to Sickbay. I believe I'm due for my daily ass-reaming form the big brass at Medical because I didn't dot an I somewhere on my reports.” 

Gem smiled and walked over to Dustin, and put an arm around her. “Off the record, speaking as big sister to potential suitor for my little sister, I want to know your feelings for Sonata, and what your intentions are.” 

Dustin cleared his throat, and in a low voice, replied, “I really think I am falling for her. She makes me feel like no one ever has before, and it's not just the siren DNA affecting my judgment. I can honestly see us having a long future together if she shares my vision. And, I give you my word, much as I did the day we met, I will not harm her or treat her like less than the stellar person I know she is.” 

Gem pondered this, then patted Dustin on the back and smiled broadly. “Thank you, Doctor, I think I know everything I need to know. You are dismissed.” Before Dustin could leave, Gem handed him Sonata's comm badge. “Since you're heading that general direction, could you drop that off to her, please, and ask her to see me bright and early tomorrow morning?” 

Dustin nodded, smiled, and walked out of the Ready Room, the doors swishing shut behind him. 


	12. It Takes Two to Taco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin and Sonata fall in love.

Ensign Sonata Dusk stood outside Holodeck Four, dressed not in her usual Starfleet- issued uniform, but in her usual comfortable attire of knee-length pink skirt and purple top. She was supposed to be meeting a certain someone here, but that someone was running a bit late. At least, she hoped it was because he was running late, and hadn't decided at the last minute to just not show up.

Skidding around the corner, Doctor Dustin Hoofer caught sight of Sonata and immediately went into a casual stroll, approaching her slowly. “Hello Sonata, sorry I'm a bit late. We had an emergency come in right before I was supposed to be leaving. I hurried to change and got here as soon as I could. Hope I look okay.” He indicated his ensemble, consisting of blue denim jeans and a grey T-shirt. “You, however, look simply divine.” He smiled.

Sonata blushed slightly, and smiled as well. “You look wonderful,” she said softly. “So, what's the big surprise you have for me, and what does the Holodeck have to do with it?”

“Well,” Dustin explained, “it's just that, ever since that night in Ten Forward, I'd been looking for a good way to get more acquainted with you … you know, more of an official date night. So, I might have checked with Captain Shadow to find out when you were off duty and planned accordingly.” His face showed a little embarrassment. “I, um, might have received some inside information from you from Ensign Blaze as well, and figured the perfect place to spend an evening.”

Sonata's face registered comprehension. “So, that's why Aria was all 'wink wink nudge nudge' for the past few days! And even more so when I got your invitation. Why didn't you just come out and ask me about things like that?” she asked.

“I wanted to keep it a surprise, and I needed to do some research on my own.” He shrugged. “I guess now, I can only hope you like what I've come up with.” He activated the computer console by the holodeck doors. “Computer, load and execute holodeck program Hoofer-Seventeen.” The computer beeped in reply, and after a few seconds announced, “Program complete. You may enter when ready.”

Dustin extended his elbow toward Sonata. “Shall we?” he asked, a bright smile on his face. Sonata giggled and placed her arm around his. “Yes, let's,” she said. The two faced the doors, and as they opened, walked inside the holodeck.

* * *

The interior of the Mexicali Tex-Mex Restaurant was nothing spectacular, looking like a typical Tex-Mex restaurant found in north Texas. A mural of Mexican countryside lined one far wall, the other painted to look like the front of a typical hacienda. Mexican-themed bar mirrors and decorations adorned the place, with writing in both English and Spanish. The floor was concrete, with patches of color here and there, as if someone had scraped off the original tile floor and left only the concrete below, with a few patches of material that would not come up. Leatherette banquettes sat along one wall, with tables and chairs filling the rest of the space in the dining area. A bar sat off in another room, next to the kitchen entrance.

“Ah, Señor Hoofer, welcome,” greeted the maitre-d' as Dustin and Sonata approached. “You requested the booth for two, yes? Please, follow me.” He led the pair to a darkened corner of the dining room and motioned for them to sit. “Your waiter will be along shortly, please enjoy your meal.” The maitre-d' placed menus in front of Sonata and Dustin, then turned and left the two alone.

“Whoa, look at this place!” Sonata exclaimed, swiveling her head around to take in everything. “How did you find this?”

“When I was studying back on Earth, I knew a guy from Texas, talking about the great food and the Tex-mex restaurants. I was able to find some information about places like this, along with a few pictures, and was able to recreate it here on the holodeck.” Dustin nodded his head to the side. “Waitress is coming.”

The waitress places a large bowl of tortilla chips and two small cups of salsa on the table. “May I get you something to drink?” she said in Spanish-accented English.

“Dr Pepper for me, please,” Dustin replied. Sonata looked stumped and shrugged. “Sounds good to me, I'll have the same.” The waitress nodded and walked back to the bar area.

Sonata looked over the menu options. “”Wow, there's so much here, and it all looks good … hmmm …”

“Get anything that tickles your fancy, I'm buying,” Dustin said with a smile.

Sonata smirked. “I think you already know what I'm going to order, if you've done your homework like you say you have.”

Dustin laughed. “Okay … but we'll split a side of guacamole, if that's okay.” Sonata nodded.

The waitress returned carrying two large plastic cups filled with a dark-brown, effervescent liquid. She set one down in front of Dustin and Sonata. “Ready to order, señor y señorita?” she asked, retrieving a pad and pen from the front pocket of her apron.

“The taco platter, please,” Sonata answered. “May I have corn tortillas for the soft tacos?”

“Sí,” the waitress replied. “And you, señor?”

“Carne asada for me, medium rare, with corn tortillas. And a large side of guacamole, please.” He closed his menu and handed it back to the waitress. Sonata did the same. The waitress said a quick “thank you,” and went back to place the orders.

“So tell me,” Sonata said, gazing at Dustin curiously, “what is it about me that has you so spellbound that you went to all of this trouble to create the perfect romantic date?”

Dustin took a long drink, and collected his thoughts. “From that first night we spent together in Ten Forward, you've been right at the front of my thoughts. Something about you is captivating, I haven’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is that's so darn attractive about you, but it's definitely there. In essence, you seem like the type of person I could spend hours with, days even, and never grow tired of you.” Sonata blushed, and blushed harder when Dustin said, “I do feel quite smitten with you, and the fact that you didn't turn down my invitation hopefully suggests you have something similar about me you find appealing...?”

“Having a similar background helped a bit,” Sonata said, her cheeks bright red, “and the fact that, when we talked, you genuinely seemed interested in me as a person. Not the usual 'doctor-patient-get well soon' interest, but that you really cared that I was going to be okay. Plus, you're insanely cute--” Sonata slapped her hands over her mouth, blushing furiously. “Oh no, I didn't mean to say that! I'm sorry!”

Dustin laughed, blushing a bit himself. “If you weren't thinking it, you wouldn't have been able to blurt it out,” he said, reaching out and patting her shoulder. “For what it's worth, I think you're super-cute, too.”

“F-for realsies?” Sonata said, surprised.

“You sound like you've never heard anyone say that before,” Dustin commented.

“Other than my parents, I really haven't,” Sonata said sadly. “We used to get teased about our appearance in school, I guess I took it to heart. I never saw myself as beautiful.”

“Well, you can stop that right now. You are beautiful, in every way, and that's not a professional diagnosis, it's what I truly believe.” Dustin took Sonata's hand and both of them felt the connection like they did the first night they talked.

“Where were you when I was younger and could have used the boost to my ego back then?” Sonata asked dreamily.

“Probably locked away in the castle by my aunties,” Dustin replied with a chuckle. “Had I known you were out there somewhere, I would have found a way to escape just to be with you.”

Dustin never saw it coming, but the next thing he knew, Sonata had leaned over from her side of the table and was kissing him, a full-contact mouth kiss, hugging him as tight as the confines of the table would allow. Dustin reciprocated as best as he could, only reluctantly letting her break the kiss after what seemed an eternity, one he hoped would never end.

The pair straightened themselves up as the waitress approached with their orders. Setting each plate down with the admonition that the plate was hot, she checked to make sure nothing else was needed. Both Dustin and Sonata said that all was well, and the waitress departed. Dustin took a small amount of the salsa and spread it on one of his tortillas. “Give it a try, I think you'll be surprised,” he said, next reaching for some guacamole.

Sonata picked up a taco, gave it a sniff, and registered surprise. She bit into it and her face lit up, a smile spreading across her features as she slowly chewed. “Wow, this is fantastic!” she declared once her mouth was clear. “I didn't think the replicators were capable of anything as tasty as this!” She took a small taste of the guacamole, and her eyes rolled back with pleasure, her happy noises mixing with the mariachi music coming through the sound system.

“It helps that I was able to find some decent recipes in the historical database and had them programmed in,” Dustin said, biting into his tortilla, now full of sautéed onion, tomato, rice, and pico de gallo. “Computers are wonderful things, yes, but they can't season worth a damn. Had to increase the spice levels to get a decent taste out of this.”

“And what do you know about cooking, Mister Marvelous?” Sonata asked coyly, making Dustin blush.

“I learned a bit from Mom, plus I had to learn more when I went to Earth to study. I've become quite decent at it, I just don't do it often.” Dustin cut a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth.

“I can see how your duties here keep you busy, but is there another reason?” Sonata asked.

“Mainly because it's not much fun cooking for one, and I hadn't found anyone special that I was willing to share my culinary talents with. On a completely unrelated and random note, would you like to make plans for another dinner date soon, perhaps joining me in my quarters for a more intimate and personally-prepared meal?” Dustin chomped his tortilla and looked hopeful.

“If you cook anything as remotely good as this,” Sonata replied, “I would be very interested in doing so.”

Dustin grinned, and took another bite of food. He stopped mid-chew when a certain [song](https://youtu.be/h8dSoL13qpY) started playing, in mariachi form, over the sound system. He swallowed, wide-eyed, and then began to softly laugh. “Oh, you're kidding me! They actually re-did this song that way?” He chuckled some more and went back to his dinner.

“That's another thing I wanted to ask you about,” Sonata said, picking up a fresh taco and adding guacamole and salsa to it. “Your tastes in music are somewhat … what's the word I want … “

“Weird?”

“Unique. Do you have a background in music that I don't know about?”

Dustin swallowed another bite of food and took a sip of his drink. “I was always exposed to music, if that's what you were wondering. The princesses had their favorites, Celestia favored the classics and Luna went for more modern music. I listened to quite a bit growing up in the castle, and when I went to Earth, I hooked up with a guy from the clinic that knew about a retro-music club in the town. I went and heard all of this music, and was hooked. I was a devotee of that place, going back whenever my schedule permitted it.” Cutting more meat, he asked. “Didn't your mother play at the Grand Galloping Gala every year?”

Sonata, her mouth full of taco, nodded. Once she swallowed, she said, “It was a regular thing for her. The princesses really liked the way she and her ensemble played, and both of them encouraged us in our musical abilities. We even formed a band once when we were teenagers. That's when we learned what siren magic does.”

“I would have loved to have heard you play and sing,” Dustin replied. “If you ever get the band back together, you better invite me to a show.”

Sonata smiled. “Count on it.” She took another bite of her taco.

* * *

“So, why was it called 'fried ice cream' if it wasn't fried at all?” Sonata asked as she and Dustin left the holodeck.

“I think it had to do with the crunchy coating, making it appear like it was deep-fried. I did eat at an Asian restaurant that actually served fried ice cream – extremely tasty and instantly fattening, but worth every bite.” Dustin grinned. “So, got time for a nightcap in Ten Forward before we call it a night?”

Sonata sighed. “No … I have to be up early, another qualification drill. If I pass, I'll be in a good position to get my promotion.”

“Oh,” Dustin said, a little disappointed. “Well, never let it be said I'd interfere with the career advancement of any crew member aboard this ship. May I walk you home, at least?”

Sonata slipped her arm around Dustin's. “I was kinda hoping you would,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. He smiled, and the two set off for the junior officers' quarters.

“So, I'm guessing you had a good time?” Dustin asked as they approached the door of Sonata's quarters.

Sonata nodded. “You went to a lot of trouble for me,and I have had the best time I have ever had since leaving Equestria.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I'm looking forward to seeing how else you're going to woo me,” she said softly. She leaned in and puckered her lips, with Dustin following suit.

Before contact was made, the door slid open to reveal Aria standing in the doorway, a smirk across her face. “Well well, I'm glad to see you made it home, Sonata. And congratulations to you, Doctor Hoofer, you brought her home well before curfew. That earns points in my book.”

Dusting shot a look to Sonata. “I didn't know you had a curfew,” he said, puzzled.

“Neither did I,” Sonata said through clenched teeth. She turned to Aria. “Dear sister of mine and beloved thorn in my side, can you please explain just what in Celestia's name you are doing?”

Aria feigned a hurt look. “Why, Sonata, all I'm doing is looking out for my beloved baby sister. It is my duty as the older sibling, you know.”

“You were born a whole five minutes before me,” Sonata replied in a measured tone.

“Which makes me the older sister now, doesn't it?” Sonata fumed while Aria went over to Dustin. “And as the older sister,I must be sure of your intentions, potential suitor. And, I must warn you that if you hurt her in any way, well, I'll just have to have Adagio have a little … um, 'chat' with you. You are acquainted with Lieutenant Dazzle, the chief of security and Commander Worf's protégé, are you not, Doctor?”

Sonata is about to explode when Dustin squeezes her hand. He gives her a wink and a nod, then drapes an arm around Aria. “It's so touching to see sisterly love on this scale. Really, it moves me to a degree I could not even begin to explain. So, let me assure you that my intentions toward Miss Dusk are quite honorable, and truth be told I would rather inflict great pain upon myself than let anything happen to her whom I hold dear to my heart. As your captain will attest, I am a man of my word, and a promise is a bond from me.”

Aria looks smug, as Dustin continues. “And to answer your question, yes, I am indeed acquainted with Lieutenant Dazzle, although not as intimately as I am acquainted with, say, the equipment for collecting a Pap smear. Oh yes, I've had that drilled into my memory over my short and storied career, especially the part about bringing the equipment up to a comfortable temperature, and I can certainly see why.”

“Can you imagine, putting that ice-cold speculum down there, having it make contact in that frigid state?” He shivers. “See, I'm not even a woman and it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it, look.” He points tot he bumps on his arm. “Say, that reminds me … aren't you scheduled for that procedure a couple of days from now?” Dustin smiles.

Aria visibly pales, then adapts a stony expression. Narrowing her eyes, she glares at Dustin. “You win this round, Hoofer. I'll be watching you. I'll let you say your goodbyes, some of us have to be up early in the morning.” She steps back through the doorway and the doors slide shut.

“I would expect nothing less from such a devoted sister,” Dustin says to the retreating Aria. As the doors close, Dusting wraps his arms around Sonata, who reciprocates. “So … how about we meet in Ten Forward a couple of days from now and plan our next big night out?” he asks.

“That sounds lovely,” Sonata says, leaning in close. “And thank you for a wonderful night tonight, you make me feel like one of the princesses.”

“You deserve nothing less, Sonata,” Dustin replies softly.

“Oh for crying out loud,” Aria's voice booms through the door, “would you two just kiss already and call it a night?”

Dustin and Sonata laugh together, then bring their lips together. This kiss lasts longer than the one on the holodeck, but carries the same amount of affection, if not a bit more. Again, reluctantly, the two break the kiss and release each other. “Good night, Dustin,” Sonata says huskily, “see you in a couple of days.”

“Good night, Sonata,” Dustin replies. He watches as Sonata steps through the door, waiting for it to slide shut before walking back to his quarters, humming a happy tune the entire way.

* * *

Captain Gemini was in a very good mood. Over the last few weeks, nothing had happened. She and her crew had been free to cruise the universe at their will, unbothered by the dramatic events that had comprised her last few mission reports. She was currently en route to sickbay, though she herself wasn't feeling ill, despite what her current [outfit ](http://bit.ly/1YzUAbF)appeared to imply. Waving to the very surprised looking medics, she knocked on Dustin's door and said, "Oh Doctor Hoofer, I have a surprise for you!"

A passing ensign saw her and ran back to Engineering to make his report, shouting over the loud rock music that Emerald insisted on playing during duty hours. Emerald laughed heartily. "It's about time she dragged that ol' outfit out of storage, she hasn't worn it since we left Equestria!"

In his office in Sickbay, Dustin heard the captain call out to him. He saved the report he was working on and released the door lock. “Okay, captain, what's this about....a.......” he said as the door opened, then was stunned into silence. He appraised Gem's look carefully, and repeatedly. With a smirk on his face, he said, “I was wondering if my most secret fantasy was about to come true, but since I don't see Sonata or a tub of whipped cream anywhere nearby, I am compelled to ask: what's all this, then?”

"We're putting on a one-off performance in the holodeck," Gem explained. "Adagio has already created the program, and we're hoping you'll come and see us. Ready for a good show?" She grinned teasingly.

“Well, when you put it that way...” Dustin replied with a sly grin, rising from his desk. “Allow me to go change into something less stuffy and I'll be there forthwith. Which holodeck are you using?”

"Two," Gem replies, waving. "See you there." She teasingly blows him a kiss, then heads off to join the rest.

Arriving at the holodeck some minutes later, she smiles. "Ahh, it feels so good to be off duty..."

The holodeck doors open and Dustin enters, wearing one of his best [outfits ](http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/tv-series/police-and-crime/1980/miami-vice/003-miami-vice-theredlist.jpg)from the late 20th century. He sneaks up behind Gem and makes a kissy noise in her right ear. “Honey, I'm home...” he says with a grin. Looking around the holodeck, he lets out a low whistle. “Wow, this place looks great! Adagio did a great job programming this.”

"I agree," Gem says with a nod, as the rest of the group file in and take their places on the [stage](http://tinyurl.com/hd6nkjy). Sonata wraps her arms around Dustin and kisses him. "Hi Dusty!"

Dustin kisses her back warmly. “Hey, songbird,” he says, hugging her close. “So, I'm finally gonna get to see what you girls did during your misspent teenage years?”

"You bet!" Sonata says, grinning. "We're all gonna sing, and play instruments!" Emerald gets behind her drum set while Aria and Adagio strum their guitars. Gem is testing out her keyboard. Raven bursts in dramatically and exclaims, "Are we ready to rock?!"

“Guess you better get up there, sweetie,” Dustin says, kissing Sonata again. He heard the crowd roaring in approval at Raven's announcement, and joined in the applause. “Work it, girls!” he called out from the audience.

The concert begins with dry ice filling the stage, and Emerald banging on her drumkit as the first [song](https://youtu.be/rdjMk8MY2oo) starts. Adagio, Aria, Sonata, and Gem take turns for each verse and chorus.

The crowd starts dancing in the aisles, Dustin among them, as the music blasts throughout the club. Dustin smiles as he hears Sonata sing, and marvels as how much talent the group as a whole possesses.

Gem and Raven take lead vocals for the [next ](https://youtu.be/LeYn_W14zTU)song. After a few more songs, the concert ends and the curtain closes. The program ends shortly thereafter.

* * *

Sitting in Ten Forward, the group sipped their drink of choice and talked amongst themselves. “I must say, all of you are extremely talented! I'm surprised you don't do this more often," said Dustin.

"You know," Gem said after a moment's thought, "That's not a bad idea! It did feel nice to be behind a keyboard again, and I know Raven loved strumming her guitar."

“It felt good to be playing music again,” Adagio said, sipping her drink. “I've actually missed those days, and ever since we started the Academy, we've not really had a way to relax and take the edge off in a constructive way.”

“Command staff needs stress relief, too,” Sunset said, with Dustin nodding in approval. “And, it's fun! What more can you ask for?”

"Not much," Emerald agreed. Twilight nodded too. "It's nice to just be Twilight and not Lieutenant Commander Sparkle," she said, using a fair approximation of Gem's accent for her rank.

Gem chuckled. "Indeed! I'm relishing the experience of not being addressed as captain. I like my job, love it even, but sometimes... sometimes you just have to let go."

“And, now you all see why I don't take my job too seriously, except when I absolutely have to. I tell the medical staff the same, go out and have fun in your off-hours, blow off some steam … and, I do see results from this. My staff works well with each other, no major meltdowns, everyone helps everyone else … Gem, I'd recommend at least weekly, if possible, of just not being the captain and being Gem. “ Dustin chugged his drink. “That goes for all of you, too. Even you, Sunset.”

"As you wish, Doctor Hoofer," Gem says, nodding. "I'd say that's an easy order to fulfill, but I have the strangest feeling that in a few weeks time, we'll be up to our ears in trouble... as if the fates have plans for us." She looks thoughtful. "Or perhaps, a certain member of a certain continuum..."

“You're just full of sunshine and rainbows, aren't you?” Dustin teased. “Look, we'll deal with it as it comes, like we always do. Just, after the shouting is over, let's all agree to get together and decompress, okay?”

"Agreed!" The girls put their hands in the center of the table, stacked them on top of each other, then broke, laughing.

* * *

Not long afterwards, Sonata and Dustin walked toward the former's quarters, hand in hand. She was still in her rock outfit, as all the others had been. "Thanks for coming out tonight, Dusty," she said, smiling. "I really appreciated it, and I can tell the girls did too."

Dustin smiled. “You honestly think I would have said 'no' to an invitation to see my sweetheart perform on stage?” He squeezed Sonata's hand. “Besides, it gives me a glimpse into your wild and crazy days in Ponyville. And, by extension, I get to live vicariously through your stage experiences.” He chuckles. “I think if you hadn't joined Starfleet, you could have made a good living as professional musicians. All of you.”

"I think you're right," Sonata agrees. "I really do." Arriving at her door, she kisses him full on the lips. "Goodnight, Dustin... see you tomorrow."

Dustin hugs Sonata close. “I'm looking forward to it, Sonata. See you tomorrow.” He kisses her very lovingly.

From behind the door, Adagio and Sonata call out, “See you tomorrow, Dustin!” before collapsing in a fit of giggles.

Sonata breaks the kiss and sighs. “I'm going to go kill them now. Usual time and place tomorrow?”

Dustin nods. “You got it. Let me know if you need a hand with body disposal.” They give each other a quick kiss, and Sonata steps inside while Dustin follows the corridor back to his quarters.


	13. Stardate: Next Sunday, AD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew encounter a dog bone-shaped satellite in orbit with Earth, and Gem investigates.

"Captain's log, stardate 80896.6. The Endeavor has come across a curious ship floating in space. Our instruments say it is dogbone-shaped in design, and does not appear to be a Federation vessel in any way whatsoever." Sitting in her usual chair, Gem considers the ship before them. "Lieutenant Dazzle, what can you tell us about that ship?"

"Our scans show there is at least one organic life form aboard," Adagio says, "and no more than four forms of artificial life. Life support is functional, but they don't seem to be going anywhere. It seems they are tethered, whomever they are."

Gem holds her chin between two fingers. "Strange... Miss Blaze, open a hailing frequency."

Aria taps her console. "Hailing frequency open."

Gem stands and speaks clearly, "Hello, this is Captain Gemini Shadow of the Federation starship Endeavour. Would you be so kind as to identify yourselves, please?" She smiles warmly.

A feminine voice pipes through the Endeavor’s speakers. “Thank you for calling the Satellite of Love. All of our operators are currently assisting other callers. Please stay on the line, and a representative will be with you shortly. Para Espanol, marque el nueve.”

Aboard the SoL, a small robot with a gumball-machine-shaped body floats through the corridors. “Joel! Joel! Wake up! Something’s trying to contact us!” he shouts, bursting into the sleeping chamber of the lone human occupant.

“What are you on about, Ton Servo?” a sleepy voice answers. “We just finished Movie Sign about an hour ago, and even Doctor Forrester needs his sleep...”

“It’s not Forrester this time, it says it’s a starship!” Tom replied.

“Okay, okay … I’m getting up,” Joel said, getting out of bed. Pulling on a red jumpsuit with “GIZMONICS” written above a checkerboard pattern on the left side, he made his way to the control center of the ship.

“There you are, Joel, I’ve got the weird alien thingies on hold,” Magic Voice said.

“Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with. Cambot, give me Rocket Number Nine,” Joel called out. An image of the starship Endeavor appeared on the screen.

“That’s definitely not Domino’s,” said a gold robot with a strange beak-like mouth and webbing atop its head.

“Okay, let’s say hello and hope they’re friendly,” Joel said. He pressed a button on a console in front of him, and the image shifted to the bridge of the Endeavor. “Um, hi there,” Joel said in a friendly tone.

Gem waves back and tries again, doing her best to look professional and cheerful all at the same time. "Hello, this is Captain Gemini Shadow of the Federation starship Endeavor. Would you be so kind as to identify yourselves, please?"

“Oh yah, sure, my name’s Joel,” he replied, smiling. He put a hand on top of Tom’s clear glass head. “This here’s Tom Servo.”

“How do you do,” Tom said, spinning and letting his little Slinky arms flop about.

“And this guy over here,” Joel said, putting a hand on the gold robot, “is--”

“Crow T. Robot at your service, mon capitan,” Crow piped up.

“So, um, what brings you out this way?” Joel asked conversationally.

"We were just doing a routine inspection of this sector," Gem began, "when we came across your vessel. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." She smiled again. "Would you like us to beam you and your companions aboard our ship, so you can meet us properly?"

"We won't bite!" Sonata chimed in. "And there'll be plenty of tacos for everyone!" The rest of the bridge crew rolled their eyes.

The three confer quietly for a moment. “Um, yeah, we’d love to come aboard your ship, but what’s this ‘beaming’ you’re talking about?”

"The full explanation is very technical," Gem says. "It's easier to show you... just a moment." She scampers off through the turbolift door and goes to the first transporter room she comes across, appearing as if by magic right among Joel and company. "Like this! You see?" She looks around the ship, running her hands along the walls. "Such an odd ship... it looks as if it was made out of random objects! Most certainly not of Federation make..." She eyes Joel's jumpsuit. "What's a Gizmonics?" Servo and Crow might note that she's quite a curvy young woman.

“Oh, that’s the company I used to work for,” Joel explained. “See, it’s basically a haven for inventors, no idea’s too crazy to be built there. I worked there right up until the time one of the inventors put me into this spaceship and blasted me out here.”

Meanwhile, Tom and Crow are jockeying for position, trying to get as close to Gem as possible.

Almost as if on cue, a blue light started flashing on a console. “Speak of the devil,” Joel says, pressing the button. “Good morning, sirs.”

The image on the viewscreen was that of a typical mad scientist, dressed in a lime-green lab coat with a dark shirt and tie underneath. His hair was fluffed out from his head, he wore green glasses, and had a streak of white in his bushy mustache. “Ah, Joel, good … we were concerned because we spotted another ship near to you and …” He spotted Gem standing with Joel. “Well, hello there,” he said, making a comical attempt to look suave. “I’m Doctor Clayton Forrester, and who might you be, my lovely?”

“Back off, she’s ours!” Crow spat.

Gem stared at the mad scientist with a frown on her face. "I am Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavor, and I am hardly a zoo exhibition for you to gawk at." Gem smiles at Crow and Tom, hugging them both. "Aren't you two sweet! Did Joel build you?"

“Hommina-hommina-hommina-hommina...” said Tom.

“I have been to heaven and I never want to go home,” Crow says happily, staying pressed against Gem despite all attempts to remove him.

“I see,” Dr. Forrester responds, “then perhaps, my dear Captain, you could explain why you are contaminating my experiment with your presence?”

"Just passing through, my dear Doctor," Gem replies coolly, patting Crow's net gently with her hand. "Your experiment, did you say? Do you mean to tell me that you're the one who sent this nice man," she gestures to Joel, "and his friends up here, without friends or protection? How -dare- you! You're making a mockery of science!" She shakes her head. "If you like Joel, I can beam you aboard our ship and take you home. You're simply too nice to be given such a cruel punishment as this." She stands tall and smiles at him, kissing his cheek lightly.

“Hey, how about a little sugar for the Servomeister?” Tom says, bumping against Gem.

“Well, it’s not really all that bad up here,” Joel says, blushing a little, “and besides, someone has to take care of my little pals here. I built them the first day I was up here so I wouldn’t get lonely and I’d have someone to talk to.”

“Look, if he won’t go, take me instead!” Crow says, snuggling against Gem. “Even if he does go, take me too!”

“My dear, lovely, meddlesome Captain, you misunderstand me,” Forrester says, wearing a hurt expression. “This isn’t a punishment, this is a chance to expand the frontiers of science – and give me a free ride to top of the Scientist’s Union. “Well, no matter, so until next we speak, Joel … little robot friends, we’ll continue this another time. Push the button, Frank.” After an awkward pause, Forrester looks around. “Oh … he’s still asleep. Goodnight.” He pushes a button and the viewscreen goes dark.

Gem chuckles, "That's fair enough," she says, kissing Servo's dome, because why not. Her badge beeps. "Shadow to Captain, will you be coming home soon?" asks Raven's voice, the smirk evident in her voice.

Gem rolls her eyes. "On my way, little sister, I promise." Straightening up, she smiles. "I'm afraid I must be going, I have a trek through the stars to return to. But in case we ever meet again... Well, hopefully it will be in more pleasant circumstances." She offers Joel a hand. "Until next time, then?"

“Yah, sure, you betcha … don’t be a stranger, come back any time,” Joel says, shaking Gem’s hand. “It was great to meet you.”

“I can still go with you, right?” Crow says, still clinging to the captain.

Gem shakes her head, "My apologies Crow, but I think you'd be missed here. I know a family when I see it." She does hug each of the bots though, one last time. "Farewell, for now! Endeavor, one to beam up!" And she disappears in a shimmer of light.

* * *

Back aboard the bridge, Raven smirks. "You liked that inventor fellow, didn't you sis?"

Gem's cheeks turned as red as Joel's jumpsuit, "It is just possible that I have some measure of affection for the man, yes..."

Raven laughs. "He'd have to compete with your job first, that's for sure!"

Gem rolls her eyes. "That's enough, Commander. Miss Blaze, resume course to Starbase 112, if you please."

Aria and Sonata smirk at each other. “Course laid in, Captain,” Aria says.

“Warp factor 2, engage!” The Endeavor streaked off toward the distant stars. 


	14. Assignment: Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem, Twilight, and Adagio meet their biographers, the writers of the New Endeavours series.

“Ship's log, local stardate 69941.4, Lieutenant Adagio Dazzle recording. Using the light-speed breakaway factor, the Endeavour has moved back through time to the 21st century. We are now in extended orbit around Earth, using our ship's deflector shields to remain unobserved. Our mission – historical research. Captain Gemini, Commander Raven, and Lieutenant Commander Twilight have beamed down to the planet surface, where they will be visiting a small town in Eastern Missouri.”

Three figures dressed in roughly similar outfits materialized in a small front yard. One had grey skin, and two others had lavender. The street was filled with houses, but surprisingly quiet. A dog barked from inside the house. 

“I suppose this is the place,” Gem said, looking around.

“Doesn’t look like a bad place to live,” Raven commented. “Who’s going to knock?”

“I will,” Twilight said, and she knocked on the glass front door.

“Coming!” shouted a voice from inside. The door swung open, revealing a young woman in her early 20s whom everyone thought strongly resembled Emerald Wave. Upon seeing the three Equestrian humans, the girl’s jaw dropped. “…No way. Just… no way. You… you can’t be…” She fainted, landing on the hardwood floor below her with a dull thump.

Quickly, the trio headed inside and helped her onto the couch. Twilight scanned her with her tricoder and announced, “She’ll be fine, she’s just out cold…”

The dog was currently running around and jumping on her back legs, she was a scruffy little thing with white fur and tan patches. Gem and Raven smiled and pet the dog, before waiting for their target to awaken.

As Christa came to, she looked at the three strangely colored women in surprise. She knew these girls alright, and they looked exactly like she imagined they would. “Okay…” she said. “Am I dreaming? You three aren’t supposed to exist. You’re figments of my imagination!”

Gem placed a calming hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled. "I can assure you that you are not dreaming, this really is happening, and we are as real as that puppy over there. My name is Gemini Shadow, I'm the captain of the Endeavor. With me is my sister Raven and our friend Twilight Sparkle."

"Yes, I know who you are," said Christa, smiling back. "It's nice to meet you though. Can I ask why you came?"

"To meet you, of course," said Twilight. "Aren't you the girl who's been transcribing our adventures in perfect detail?"

Christa blushed. "Well, yeah... But it isn't all me, there's Longhaul too. Are you going to visit him?"

"I don't see why not," Gem said with a nod. "But first, we're here for you." She sat down beside Christa on the couch. "Would you mind sharing some of what you've written?"

"Sure!" Christa nodded and picked up a smallish tablet computer cloaked in a black case, opened the cover, and tapped a few times on the screen, opening her favored word processor app.

Raven looked on in astonishment. "No way! That PADD is thinner than ours!"

"Not to mention it has an entirely different user interface and operating system," added Twilight. "I don't see the L-CARS interface anywhere." She looked thoughtful. "I wonder why we were never told this in school..."

"Maybe because they don't want to admit that the 20th century has us beat," Raven snarked. "I mean geez, First Contact is decades away!"

Gem held up a hand, "Not now, girls, please. Miss Christa, you may continue."

Christa nodded and began to read out loud, retelling the Endeavour's first voyage as if she had been there herself. As she spoke, Twilight disappeared into the kitchen to get snacks. At the end of the story, all four ladies were munching on potato chips.

"You and Mr. Longhaul write very well," Gem complimented, chuckling a little. "I'm truly amazed! Every detail, every word is perfectly accurate!"

"I only wonder how it could be possible," Twilight mused. "Surely we would've noticed a stowaway."

Gem thought for a moment. "Well, she did say that we are fictional characters in her world... Perhaps this is just a coincidence?"

"Maybe," said Raven, looking unconvinced. "Either way..." She smiled at Christa. "Great work, girl. Keep it up!"

"I plan to," Christa said, smiling back. "Will you be here long?"

Gem shook her head. "Actually, we should probably be going now... We have to visit your co-writer."

Christa giggled. "I'll warn him you're coming. But before you go..." She rose and hugged each of them in turn. "I hope I'll see you again sometime! It's nice to know that in at least one universe, you're real."

Gem chuckled. "We're as real as you are, my dear. Live long and prosper." The trio gave her a Vulcan salute each, then disappeared altogether.

* * *

"Are you sure that this is the right place?" Gem asked Twilight, who was busy studying her tricorder. The trio were standing in a small courtyard, looking at rows of seemingly identical buildings. 

"The map coordinates Christa provided say that this is the right place. Our task is finding the correct numbers." Twilight looked around ad finally spotted a number plaque on one of the buildings. "There it is." Gem and Raven followed Twilight to the building. 

The trio entered the building and, after checking the numbers on the inside, made their way upstairs. Reaching the correct door, Gem looked for a doorbell button. She found none. "I guess we knock," she said, and rapped on the door a few times, sending the Chihuahua in the apartment next door into a barking frenzy. 

Heavy footsteps were heard inside the apartment and the door opened to reveal a bleary-eyed man, wearing a black T-shirt with blue jeans and white socks. His hair was askew and his belt unfastened. He stifled a yawn and blinked, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief, looking at the three smiling faces standing in the entryway. "I really need to lay off the rice pudding at bedtime, these vivid dreams are getting more realistic by the day," he croaked in a hoarse voice. 

"Oh no, we're quite real," Gem replied. "I'm Gem, this is Raven and Twilight. Christa said she would let you know we were coming here." 

Comprehension flooded in with consciousness, and Longhaul's eyes grew wider. "I thought she was pulling my leg about you three." He stepped aside. "Please, come in, make yourselves to home. Can I get you some coffee?" 

"I think some coffee would be nice," Raven said, the other two nodding in agreement. "Good, 'cause I really hate drinking alone. Won't be a minute." He stumbled off to the kitchen. 

* * *

“So, let’s see if I got this straight,” Longhaul said, as the four of them sipped from coffee mugs and nibbled donuts. “Miss Twilight here was doing research on ancient Earth technologies and came upon an entry for the internet.” 

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” Twilight answered. 

“Investigating further, you found references to Starfleet and Equestria in a literary genre called ‘fan fiction,’ and decided to investigate further.” 

“Precisely,” Raven nodded. 

“And, upon downloading archived copies of these stories, you found that they perfectly mirror your missions, and even your day-to-day life.” 

“Which is why we came here,” Gem said.

“I know, using the old ‘slingshot around the Sun to travel through time’ trick. You’ve since spoken to Christa and found her to be harmless, and are now here with me.” Longhaul sipped his coffee. “My only question to you, then, would be as follows: Do you want us to stop what we’re doing?” 

“On the contrary, we’re here to say that both of you write exceptionally well,” Gem said with a grin. “We’re also here to try to find out how you know so much about our world, seeing as how it doesn’t exist yet in this time.” 

“That’s a really valid question, and I’m really not sure about that,” Longhaul said, rubbing his neck. “I always attributed it to having a vivid imagination, and loads of free time to think about this stuff and how it should look, what the overall scene is, and just go from there. Usually, it’s a question from Christa that sparks my thought process. Sometimes, it’s just something I had to get out of my head, or I thought it was too cute to not write out.” 

“Like the Dustin and Sonata stories?” Raven said with a smirk. 

He blanched at hearing that. “Oh no, you found those too ... um ... how’d Sonata react to them?” 

Twilight giggled. “She thought they were lovely. Dustin said, and I quote, ‘Finally, someone did me justice in an epic saga of romance.’” 

Longhaul dropped his head and sighed. “I kinda figured he’d have seen them, too. And here I thought Dustin was a product of my imagination and, to a lesser extent, my ego.” 

“That’s very interesting,” Raven said, “not knowing that Dustin was a real person in our world, and yet you describe him and his mannerisms perfectly.” 

“Makes me wonder if there’s some form of telepathic link between me and your time,” Longhaul mused. “It would explain the random appearance of thoughts about your time that keep popping into my head.” 

“Mister Longhaul, with your permission, may we have copies of the original story files you have?” Twilight asked. “We’d like to make sure that the archived copies we have aren’t missing anything important.” 

He shrugged. “Um, sure, I have no problem with that, and I suspect Christa wouldn’t either. Let me get the desktop running and we can figure out how to do the file transfer.” 

“My tricorder can handle that,” Twilight said cheerfully. “It can also recognize the file formats, which is how we were able to read the archives in the first place.” 

“Okay, then, won’t be second.” Longhaul clicked on the two monitors and wiggled the mouse. As the computer began powering up, he entered a PIN and the main screen appeared, along with an image of Sonata, Adagio, and Aria in pony form acting as Longhaul’s background screen. 

Upon seeing the picture, the three began to giggle loudly. “Oh, that’s so cute!” Gem said, a wide smile gracing her features. 

“Can you imagine what they’d say if they saw that?” Raven chuckled. “I don’t suppose we could have a copy of that as well?” Twilight asked. 

“Sure, I’ll pull up that directory once the stories are transferred,” Longhaul replied, clicking on the file manager icon. Browsing to the correct directory, he indicated the completed stories. 

Twilight aimed the tricorder at the computer and began to collect the data. “Thank you for letting us do this,” Gem said, “and we do hope you and Christa will continue your work.” 

“You’re very welcome,” Longhaul answered, and clicked over to the picture directory. He highlighted the image file. “There, that’s the image to copy,” he told Twilight. 

A quick press on the screen and Twilight smiled. “Perfect,” she said, showing the image to Gem and Raven, both of whom started to giggle again. “I can’t help it, they look so cute as ponies,” Raven said once she composed herself. 

“Okay, I think our mission is done here,” Gem said, stifling a chuckle. “Longhaul, it’s been a pleasure to have met you, and I do hope you and Christa will continue writing.” 

Longhaul smiled. “We plan to,” he said, “for quite some time to come. Have a safe journey home.” He walked them to the door. “Oh, and if you ever get another chance, feel free to visit again, okay?” 

“No promises, but we’ll see what we can do.” Looking outside, the trio saw more people moving around in the courtyard. “I think we’d better beam back up from inside.” Longhaul nodded and stepped back to give them room. 

Gem tapped her comm badge. “Shadow to Endeavor, ready to beam up landing party.” Showers of sparkles engulfed the three, and they soon vanished from view. 


	15. Up the Long Ladder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dazzlings are promoted.

"Captain's log, stardate 80700.7. Ensigns Blaze and Dusk and Lieutenant Dazzle are studying for their promotion evaluations. I have complete faith in their abilities to pass these tests. Still, that hasn't stopped Commander Sparkle from assisting them in their studies." 

Twilight, Adagio, Aria and Sonata sat in the ship’s library, with Twilight acting as teacher. She stood in front of a chalkboard. “Adagio, recite the chain of command from lieutenant commander on down, please!” 

Adagio sighed slightly. “Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Junior Grade, and Ensign.” 

“Excellent!” Twilight said happily. “Ensign Dusk, what was the fastest speed ever recorded by a Federation starship, and which ship set the record?” 

“Warp 14.1, set by the USS Enterprise in the year 2269, ma’am!” Sonata said briskly. “Ensign Blaze, please name the system Equestria is located in!” Twilight continues. “The Zacherle cluster,” Aria says. “It is the third planet in its solar system.” 

Twilight beamed. “All of you are doing exceptionally well! I think you’ll have no trouble passing your exams tomorrow. Now, I’m going to release you from this study group, and what I want you to do once you leave is go and relax. Spend time on the holodeck, in Ten Forward, whatever. You all know this stuff cold. What I want from each of you is to be rested and ready for whatever they throw at you tomorrow at 0800. Dismissed!” 

The three stood and gathered their PADDs, and left the room.

* * *

Gem walked through the hallways of the ship to Ten Forward, where she found the three siren sisters at a booth in a corner of the room. She wears a plain red and black hoodie with jeans and some black and white tennis shoes, plus her combadge. “Mind if I join you three?” she asks. 

“Not at all, Captain,” Adagio said, motioning to an empty chair. “It’s quite a surprise to see you here.” 

“What can we do for you, ma’am?” Sonata asked. 

Gem sits down and makes herself comfortable. “You can start with just calling me Gem,” she says, smiling. “I just thought I’d check up on you and see how you’re doing. Are you nervous about tomorrow at all?” 

“A little bit,” Aria admitted, “mostly because I don’t like tests. I know the stuff forwards and backwards, but sit me in front of a test and I blank.” 

Gem nods. “I think there are some coping mechanisms you can use to help with that. I’d advise taking a look before tomorrow. Other than that though, I have complete confidence in your abilities.” She gives Aria a hug. 

“Thanks, Gem,” Aria says, returning the hug. 

“Do you know who will be proctoring the test?” Sonata asked. “I’m hoping it’s someone from the ship and not an outsider. I just feel more comfortable with a familiar face nearby.” 

“Twilight eagerly volunteered,” Gem said with a nod. “She’s been very happy with how your practice sessions have been going, and tells me that she sees it as it her personal responsibility to ensure you succeed tomorrow.” 

“She probably gets that from her mother,” Adagio quipped. 

“Gem, what happens if for some reason we don’t pass?” Sonata asked, worried. “I mean, this is our second go-around, Aria and I. And we heard Starfleet doesn’t give you many chances, either do or die.” 

“Starfleet might not,” Gem says, “But I do. It’ll take as many chances as it needs to take. And if I have to argue with Command about it, then I will. You’re prodigies, it’s not my fault they can’t see it.” She squeezes Sonata’s hand reassuringly. 

Sonata smiled a little. “That makes me feel a bit better. Maybe having Twilight proctor the test won’t make us so nervous.” 

“The only thing you’re nervous about,” Aria said flatly, “is what happens to you and Dustin if you don’t pass and they put you off the ship.” 

Sonata stuck her tongue out at Aria. “It’s not just that, okay? I just don’t wanna flunk again, especially when I know I can recite this stuff in my sleep. I really wanna make it this time, it’s not about what happens to my love life!” 

“Of course, Sonata, forgive me,” Aria said. Shielding her mouth from Sonata’s view, she mouthed the word “Dustin” to Gem. 

Gem giggles. “Trust me, no one will get transferred off this ship if I can help it. Captain’s word.” She gets up. “I have some paperwork to attend to, but I’ll come by tomorrow after the test. In the meantime, good luck.” She hugs all of them in turn, then makes her way to her quarters. 

“Thank you, Captain,” they all said in unison. After Gem had departed, Adagio looked over at Aria and Sonata. “We should probably hit the rack early tonight, make sure we’re rested up.” Aria and Sonata nod in agreement, and the trio made their way back to their quarters. 

* * *

It was a different Twilight Sparkle that greeted the three prospects in the classroom the next morning. Dressed in her dress uniform, her hair piled tightly in a bun, she nodded as each of them entered the room. “Please take your seats, we’ll begin shortly.” 

The three sirens nod and take their seats as Twilight goes over the rules. “No electronic devices or food or drink items will be allowed in the testing center. You are also barred from discussing the content of the test and talking during the test. You will be allowed a five minute break after the first two sections. Do I make myself clear?” 

The three snap to attention in their seats. “Yes, ma’am!” they shout in unison. 

Twilight nods, then drops her official voice for a moment. “Ladies, you’ve come a long way to get here, and I’m proud of all of you. Just take your time, read the question carefully, and if you aren’t sure of the answer, skip it and come back to it later on. Good luck to all of you.” Twilight walked to the front of the room and tapped her console. Screens lit up in front of each of the sirens. “Begin!” she announced, tapping her console. Instantly, the exams flashed on the screens and the sirens set to work. 

The three sirens work for a couple of hours, after which there is indeed a five minute break, during which they each get a snack from a replicator nearby. After another two hours, the tests are complete. Twilight smiles. “Wonderful work, you three. I’ll be in touch with your results in due course.” 

* * *

“Captain’s log, stardate 80702.8. I am told that Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk have completed their examinations. I am about to discuss things with Commander Sparkle.” 

Gem knocks on the door of Twilight’s quarters. “Mind if I come in, Commander?” 

The doors slide open. “Please, come in, Captain.” Gem steps inside and the doors slide shut. “What brings you by tonight, Gem?” Twilight asks. 

“I came to see how the girls did on their tests,” Gem says, making herself comfortable. “I talked with them in Ten Forward last night and they seemed very worried... poor Sonata was afraid she’d get taken off the ship and separated from Dustin!” 

“Well, you’re in luck. I just finished running the exams through the grading program. I was going to give this to you in the morning, since the captain has to sign off on it before the scores are submitted to Starfleet.” Twilight passes over a PADD. “Besides, me, you’re the first to know the results.” Twilight’s smile grows bigger. “They all passed.” 

Gem swipes her finger over the glass and smiles. “As I expected! They had nothing to worry about!” She signs her name, and taps the submit button. “I think a celebration is in order! Don’t you think so?” 

“I think that would be a lovely idea!” Twilight said. “Where should we hold the party, and how much are we going to make them sweat the results?” 

“The holodeck, and not too much, I should think. You know how Sonata is, I wouldn’t be surprised if half her bags are packed just in case,” Gem replies. 

Twilight giggled. “This is true. Okay, I’ll tell Emmy and Dustin, and you can tell Raven and Sunset. Oh, this is going to be fun!”

* * *

“Oh, this is going to be a nightmare,” Aria said drearily as the three trudged down to the holodeck. 

“Now, we don’t know for sure that it’s bad news,” Adagio said, trying to calm both Aria and Sonata. 

“But it’s the only place big enough for a decommissioning ceremony, since the shuttle bay is still being refitted,” Sonata said. 

Adagio sighed. The three approached the holodeck doors, but found them locked. “Computer,” Adagio announced, “Sonata Dusk, Aria Blaze, and Adagio Dazzle are requesting permission to enter currently running program.” 

The computer beeped. “Access granted. Please enter when ready,” the computer voice announced as the doors unlocked noisily. 

The three joined hands and stepped inside as the doors opened. 

The doors slide open to reveal a recreation of Sugarcube Corner. Every detail is absolutely perfect, down to the holographic Pinkie Pie bouncing around the room. When she sees the Dazzlings, she smiles. “Hey girls, good to see ya!” she says, hugging each of them. “Gem requested a private room for your party, go on up! I’ll be up in a bit with some more cookies!” She disappears into the kitchen. 

“I guess they want to give us a taste of home before we go,” Sonata says, as she and the other two proceed upstairs. “That’s just like Gem.” 

The three trudged up the stairs and came to a door. “I guess we just go in...” Aria said glumly. Adagio nodded, and turned the knob. The room was completely dark. 

“Um ... hello?” Adagio said softly, as the three stepped inside. 

“SURPRISE!!!!!!” came the reply as the lights suddenly snapped on, revealing a room decorated with balloons, streamers, and assorted party-related items. All six of the Equestrian crew was there, smiling broadly, and the banner hung over the giant buffet table read, “CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PROMOTION!” 

“Wait ....what?” Sonata asked, confused. 

Dustin came up and hugged Sonata close. “You did it, sweetie! Once the papers clear, you’ll be a lieutenant! You all passed!” 

Sonata’s jaw drops. “...So we’re not being decommissioned?” 

Gem laughed, “Of course you aren’t, girls! You two will be lieutenants, and Adagio will be Lieutenant Commander! Now come along, relax!” 

Sonata notices a huge plate of tacos as she hugs Dustin and immediately begins stuffing her face. 

Dustin feigns despair. “Oh, how typical, thrown aside for a mere taco.” He shrugs. “Oh well, if ya can’ beat ‘em...” He joins Sonata at the taco plate. 

Emerald comes up and wraps her arms around Adagio and Aria. “Great job, you two. Bet it feels good to have that out of the way, huh?” 

Aria nods enthusiastically. “You have no idea...” 

Emerald laughs. “I’m happy for you, Ari. I told Gem last night, it would take an act of fate for us to get torn apart, and we’d find out way back together again eventually anyway.” She smiles, then looks over at Twilight. “So Sparks, does this mean you’re going to be our official test proctorer from here on in?” 

“Only if they need me to be, and I hope they do,” Twilight said happily. 

“I’ll be sure to inform you of any tests,” Gem says, smiling.

* * *

After the party, Sonata and Dustin are walking back to the former’s quarters, holding hands. “I really was worried I’d get decommissioned and I wouldn’t get to see you again,” she tells him, pouting. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else but on this ship with you.” 

“First of all,” Dustin said, pulling Sonata closer to him, “no one’s taking you off this ship without a fight. I’d go all the way to Starfleet headquarters if I had to. Second of all, even if you had lost your officer’s standing, there was another way I was prepared to keep you here.” 

“What was that?” Sonata asks, tilting her head. 

Dustin stopped and stood in front of Sonata. He then dropped to one knee. “Sonata Dusk, you are the best thing to come into my life, from the first day we met in Ten Forward. I couldn’t bear to be apart from you for any great length of time. We don’t have to do this right away, and if you’d like, I can re-create this in front of your sisters and friends, but I must ask you: Sonata Dusk, when we both feel the time is right, would you become my wife?” 

The loud exclamations of “Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes” could be heard all around the ship as Sonata hugged the stuffing out of Dustin, briefly turning him as blue as herself.

* * *

From her quarters, Gem looked up and smiled. “It’s about time, too,” she muttered, making a note in a small notebook she kept by her bed. 

* * *

In their quarters, Adagio passed over a small sack of Equestrian bits to a smug-looking Aria. “Fine, don’t rub it in,” Adagio said, trying to sound angry but smirking the entire time. 

* * *

Emerald sat bolt upright in her bed. “What’s that noise? Is something wrong with the ship?” she asked. 

Twilight shook her head. “Nope. Everything’s very right with the ship right now.” Emerald phews. "Thank Luna for that!" 

* * *

Sonata takes a deep breath and says, "Dustin, I would be very glad to be your wife. You're the most wonderful man I have ever known, and I love you dearly." 

The two embrace before sharing a very loving kiss. “And, no matter where our duties take us, we’ll still be with each other always. I can’t describe the happiness you’ve brought me, Sonata, and I’d be a fool to try. I love you very much.” 

Sonata kisses him deeply, then smiles. “I’ll see you in the morning then... goodnight.” Her door slides open and she steps inside to see the waiting smirks of her sisters. Her jaw drops. “...You heard that, didn’t you?” 

The wide smiles on their faces were answer enough, but Adagio said, “Every word.”

Sonata sighs. “And by morning, the whole crew will know, won’t they?”

“Damn straight,” Aria agrees, grinning. “Way to go, Sonata. We’re happy for you.”

Sonata wraps her sisters in a hug. “Thanks. I’m happy, too.”


	16. A Wolf in the Fold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The changelings ally with the Romulans and some rogue Federation agents to create some humanoid changelings, including a resurrected Chrysalis. One of them infiltrates the Endeavour, posing as a Terran.

There was nopony in all of Equestria that Onyx hated more than Orion Shadow. Since coming to power as ruler of the changelings nearly a decade earlier, the grey-furred unicorn had been a nearly eternal thorn in his side. It started when his mother, Queen Chrysalis, invaded Equestria a second time and almost took it over, only to be killed by Orion, though he always claimed innocence.

A few months later, Orion himself wandered right into the hive and used his power as an ambassador to lead a changeling rebellion, granting hundreds of drones asylum in Equestria and bringing down the Hive's numbers even further. Onyx was happy when it turned out that Orion had gone into space the next year, it granted him five years of relative peace and quiet. Then he had returned, and all he learned from his spies in Ponyville and the royal palace was week after week of what that pathetic, high-class imbecile had been up to.

By far the most infuriating tidbit had been that Orion had himself cloned. "CLONED?!" Onyx had screamed at his informant. "That foolish nymph had himself CLONED?! Good grief! I suppose you're going to tell me that the clone was bipedal and female too!"

The informant shifted his hooves, not daring to meet his ruler's eyes. "Well, sir... uh... yes..." 

Onyx paused to consider what a female, bipedal Orion might look like and only pictured the pony himself in a flower-print dress. He laughed loud and long, and possibly a little insanely.

The informant raised a hoof once his superior's guffaws subsided. "Um... sir? What do you wish for me to do?"

Onyx thought for a moment. "Keep up the spying work, and report to me on how exactly the cloning process is performed. I want to see if we can use it for ourselves." The informant nodded and left. Onyx climbed off his throne and wandered to his personal quarters, where he took out a small box containing a few locks of his mother's mane, perfectly preserved. He smiled darkly. "Soon, Mother... soon you will walk this earth again, and our vengeance on the Shadow menace can begin anew..."

* * *

A week later, a guard squadron was out patrolling the western perimeter of the main hive complex when one of the drones thought he saw a slight shimmer in the night sky. Th ship de-cloaked, and the guards leapt into action, surrounding it in the standard formation. "Halt!" shouted the squad leader. "You have penetrated changeling territory! Exit the craft and come out with your forelimbs raised!"

The craft opened, and out stepped two females: a human and a Romulan soldier. "I am T'ger, a member of the Romulan Star Empire," said the Romulan. "Who is your leader?"

"King Onyx," replied the squad leader. "Come with us, and we shall take you to him at once."

* * *

The two humanoids met Onyx in his throne room. The changeling king was in a very bad mood, having been interrupted from his nightly feeding. "This had better be important," he barked. "I don't have time for chit-chat. Who are you two, what do you want, and why are you here?"

"My name is T'ger," said T'ger. "My superiors in the Romulan military have sent me here to see if you will become our ally in this sector. Our overall goal is complete domination of the Milky Way, and the Federation already has a foothold in this world. Background research indicates that your race have had struggles with the Equestrian Princesses and their associates in the past, and it is the Empire's belief that an alliance with you would allow you superior technological advantages."

Onyx looked bored. "And if I refuse?"

T'ger smiled like a hungry predator. "Should you reject our most generous terms, and somehow resist, we will go to war with you. You cannot hope to defeat us."

Onyx nodded. "Then I guess our goals are more or less the same: you want the Federation off this planet, and I want Orion Shadow dead. Not only that, I want that female clone of his dead too! Can you make that happen?"

"We can," T'ger said with a smile. "Luckily for you, my associate," she gestured to the human female, a young cadet of Chinese heritage, "has recently graduated from Starfleet Academy. She was one of the assistants on the cloning project begun by their Medical division, and we have planned to keep her there for strategic reasons."

Onyx fixed the cadet with a look. "I'm going to need you to clone somebug very important to me. Can you do that?"

The cadet, Jenna Kroger, smiled. "I most certainly can. I have access to the cloning team's files, and with the help of the Romulan medical team, I should be able to produce a clone very easily. Who would you like cloned, your majesty?"

Onyx brought forward the box. "These hairs are all I have left of my mother, Queen Chrysalis. She was killed a few years ago by Orion Shadow and one of the Royal Sisters, Luna. I've pledged to not let her revenge die with her, but..." He stopped, and for the first time, sounded sad. "I miss her. She was my mother... and I want her back, even if it means having to raise her as my daughter or something." Recovering himself, he continued. "Do this right and I'll reward you both with more power than you can imagine. Fail, and I'll have you both sucked dry of love and your lifeless husks will be burned at the next Bonfire Night. Got it?"

Jenna took the box and nodded. "We will not fail, your majesty."

"You'd better not," Onyx said, climbing back onto his throne. "Now clear out, I have a feeding to get back to!"

* * *

Development on the hybrid changeling was swift, though not without some roadblocks. Early attempts at figuring out the best ratio of human and changeling DNA resulted in the creation of what was little more than a bipedal changeling, to a bipedal changeling with hands and mammary glands, all the way up to a creature that was nearly completely human in appearance, save for dark grey skin the same color as a true changeling's chitin. 

Once the ratio was settled, the cloning process itself could begin. DNA was taken from the sample provided by Onyx and from Jenna, while T'ger served as the surrogate. T'ger was also placed under a spell that would temporarily alter her physical form just enough to allow for the hatching of an egg rather than a live birth for the duration of the pregnancy.

Nine months of gestation time later, the clone of Chrysalis was born on November 16th 2379. She emerged from her cocoon and looked around, inspecting herself.

Onyx smiled and took her in his magic, hugging her. "Hello Chrysalis," he whispered, his fangs glinting in the dim light of the hatchery. "Welcome to the world at last. Again."

* * *

Chrysalis was raised in the way of a true changeling warrior. A hatred of ponies was instilled in her from the beginning, and for Orion and his family in particular. She fed both on human food and on love, as all changelings did, and showed her first signs of shapeshifting magic the same day Gem and her friends discovered their own magic powers.

Pleased by the success of the initial test case, Onyx collected a small squadron of the best warrior drones in the hive and had them cloned as well. These were born to changeling parents, as T'ger and Jenna had left following Chrysalis' hatching.

When they reached maturity, the eight humanoid changelings (Chrysalis and seven drones under her command) were enrolled at the Imperial War College while Gem and her friends started at Starfleet Academy. After graduation, six of the drones (plus Chrysalis) were assigned to the IRW Valdore, under the command of Commander Donatra. Only one remained.

This lone drone was known as Milo, he was the youngest of the seven drones and had spent most of his nymph-hood being picked on by his elders. He was summoned into Onyx's office after Chrysalis and the others left on the Valdore, looking very confused. "You sent for me, my liege?" he asked.

Onyx nodded. He was old by now, but still as fierce as ever. "I've got a very important job for you, Milo. This will be a deep infiltration mission, something that only one changeling can be entrusted to perform."

"What do you mean?" asked Milo.

Onyx climbed off his chair and walked around the desk. "My sources in Starfleet say that Ensign Gemini Shadow has recently been assigned to the USS Icarus as part of her shakedown time. You will join her there, become her friend, and stab her in the back when the time is right." He licked his fangs hungrily. "I can only ask one changeling to do it because Chrysalis is a bad actress, and the others in that little pod of hers are too stupid. Out of all of them, you're the only one to have passed shapeshifting and impersonating classes with top grades. Do you understand?"

Milo nodded. "I do, my liege.” Onyx smiled and dismissed him.

* * *

"So you're Ensign Milo Iscariot, huh?" said the grey-skinned female Equestrian human standing before Milo. "Nice to meet you! I'm Gemini, I'm an Ensign too." She offered her hand, which Milo shook. The two of them were in the Icarus' equivalent of Ten Forward, relaxing after a busy day of menial labor. Gem was drinking an earl grey tea while Milo favored synthehol-based Long Island Iced Tea.

"I've never seen a human like you before," Milo said, chuckling. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Equestria," Gem said with a smile. "I'm half pony. The ponies there come in many different colors, so that trait was passed on to us when we were created as part of Starfleet Medical's special cloning program."

"I heard about that!" Milo said, smiling too. "Did you know you're already showing up in the medical textbooks?"

Gem's jaw dropped. "You're joking, surely!"

Milo shook his head. "There's a whole chapter in one of my Academy textbooks about clones, and you're mentioned as one of the few success stories. Is it true have special powers?"

Gem nodded. "We call it magic. Watch!" She extended a finger and it began to glow dark blue. She pointed it at her drink and waved it around a bit, causing the glass to float around her head for a few moments before putting it back down again. "That's levitation," she explained. "I have access to the full spectrum of unicorn magic, though they use horns to channel it through. Since I don't have one, I use my hands."

"Fascinating!" Milo said, amazed. He leaned forward slightly. "Are there others like you here?"

Gem nodded. "There are my sisters Raven and Sunset, and our friends Twilight, Emerald, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. We'll be on board for a couple of years, and if I pass, I'll get promoted to captain as part of the accelerated command program for promising young officers."

"Lucky," Milo says, smirking slightly. "If you get your own ship, can I join the crew?" 

Gem smiled. "Sure! It would be lovely to have a few Terrans aboard. I look forward to seeing how our two species work together in greater detail."

"Me too," Milo said, finishing his drink. "I'm headed back to my quarters, but you're welcome to come visit if you want. I'm on deck 13."

Gem nodded. "I'll certainly try to! See you later, Milo!" She blew him a kiss, then took out a PADD as he walked away, resuming her latest book.

* * *

Two years had passed since that first meeting between Gem and Milo. Gem had indeed gotten her own ship, a Miranda-class vessel which she named the Endeavour, and installed her fellow Equestrian humans as the main bridge crew. Milo had been posted to the Engineering department, still holding the rank of Ensign.

As he stepped from the turbolift and into the main engineering deck, he was greeted by a yellow-skinned woman dressed in a 2370s-era engineering uniform. She had black glasses and curly brown hair with bright green eyes, and a happy smile. "So you're Milo, huh? Nice to meet you! I'm Emerald, head of Engineering." She offered a hand, which Milo shook.

Emerald led him to the main work area, where a small group of other crew members were busily working on assorted projects to the sounds of ancient Earth rock music. "I like to keep a casual atmosphere here!" Emerald shouted over the music. "No ranks, just some good music and whatever projects need doing! Taco night is every Tuesday in Ten Forward, and on Fridays, casual dress is strictly encouraged! With me so far?"

"It sounds great!" Milo exclaimed.

Emerald grinned and gave him the thumbs-up. "That's the spirit, dude! Lemme show you the engine room!" They walked further down to the room where the warp core engine itself was contained. Standing far above it, Emerald smiled. "Ain't she a beaut? It's got the usual matter/antimatter reaction assembly, utilizing deuterium and antideuterium that reacts in a dilithium crystal matrix which produces a maximum output of 4,000 teradynes per second, but you should know all this from school."

"What they don't tell you in the Academy is that our warp core contains a little something extra." On cue, Emerald's hands glowed the deep green she was named for, and blew on them. Green dust floated into the core and turned it bright green for a few seconds before fading back to blue. "Equestrian magic," she says. "I have to do that a couple times every month, but it gives us a little extra speed that most other Miranda-class ships can't do. With Gem's permission, I'm gonna see if we can get this ol' girl to warp 10!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "Any questions?"

Milo shook his head. "No, ma'am. I mean, Emerald."

Emerald nodded. “Awesome. Come on back to the main area, and I’ll start you off with something simple.”

Milo nodded, and the pair headed back the way they had come.

* * *

A few days had passed since Milo’s introduction to the Engineering group. The ship had taken off the day before, and the crew were now in space for the first time. Emerald sat in her office, looking through some paperwork, when the chime announced a visitor to her office. “Come in,” she said, and the doors slid open. 

Milo was waiting on the other side. A mousy sort, Milo tended to keep to himself ... or herself, sometimes, for even though Milo identified as a male, he had feminine tendencies in many of his mannerisms, and had a generally ambiguous look about him. This elicited no averse reaction from the Engineering crew, as hard work was the only trait that really mattered. And Milo was rapidly proving himself as one of the hardest workers on board, and possibly within the whole of Starfleet. 

“You wanted to see me, Commander?” Milo said as he entered the office. 

“Come in, sit down,” Emerald said warmly, “and drop the rank nonsense. I told you, down here in our little world, you can cal me Em or Emerald. We only use rank when the higher-ups are visiting.” 

“Sorry, Em,” Milo said, looking slightly embarrassed. “I’m still getting the feel of how things are done around here.” 

“Well, you’re doing an exemplary job, so don’t fret too much about that,” Emerald said with a smile. “There is one thing that needs immediate attention, however, and that is your mandatory full physical examination.” 

Milo looked nervous. “Ph-physical? I wasn’t aware I’d need one of those when I got here, I had one right before I was assigned to Starbase 402 only a few months ago.” 

“I understand that,” Emerald said sympathetically, “but Doctor Hoofer is insistent on having as up-to-date medical records on the crew as he possibly can. And technically, it’s mandated by Starfleet, so one cannot really refuse.” She tapped on her console, and spun the viewscreen around for Milo to see. “And may whatever deity you believe in have mercy if you don’t report within at least two weeks.” 

Milo looked aghast at the picture, which showed Doctor Hoofer, wearing a pith helmet, leading the way while two burly nurses dragged a poor ensign in a cargo net down the corridor toward Sickbay. “Is – is that Albert? He came on board six days before I did,” he said, sounding shocked. 

Emerald nodded. “Which means, your time is fast approaching.” She touched Milo’s hand reassuringly. “Look, despite ... well, this,” she said, indicating the picture, “the doc’s really a nice guy with an easygoing bedside manner. Take the rest of the day off, and first thing tomorrow, report to Sickbay. All right?” 

Milo nodded glumly. “Okay, Em...” he said noncommittally. 

* * *

Entering his quarters, Milo set the lock on the door. He walked over to the full-length mirror in his sleeping area and studied himself. He was of average height, with the appearance of a typical Earth human. It was decided that this was the species he would mimic, and he found it surprisingly easy to do. Appearing as an Equestrian human would have raised considerable red flags, given the limited number that existed. He studied his features. His face was smooth, with no sharp lines, appearing almost female in shape. His musculature was average, with no distinguishing marks on his skin. Normally, this would be enough to fool the average person, since for all intents and purposes Milo appeared human enough to not warrant a second look. 

Taking a deep breath, Milo’s eyes flashed a brilliant green, and a green flame enveloped his body, seemingly consuming him. When it faded, he stood in his natural state: dark grey colored exoskeleton, gossamer wings, blue-hued compound eyes, and sharp fangs. He still stood as a human would, the result of a successful program to create the first anthropomorphic changelings who would lead the charge to infiltrate the ranks of Starfleet and bring the changeling race to prominence under their glorious leader, Queen Chrysalis. 

Milo sighed and swished his perforated tail in a nervous twitch. While on the outside his disguise was perfect, he worried about being detected during the examination. All that work, all that training, about to come crashing down around him. 

Remaining close to her, the daughter of Orion Shadow, was a stroke of luck. He was lucky to get the posting aboard the Endeavour, so close to his most hated enemy. He let his mind flash back to the first day aboard the ship ... 

It was a few days before the Endeavour was set to depart from the fleet yards of San Francisco, but that didn't mean the ship was empty. Crew members bustled around the place, setting up their quarters and getting as comfortable as they could, since they'd be spending the next five years of their lives there. 

After a quick check to make sure his disguise was perfect and wouldn't give himself away, Milo joined the throng of young ensigns awaiting to enter the vessel. A lieutenant moved along the line, holding a PADD as she took roll. "Let's see... Halston, Hicks, Harrison... All present..." She pointed at Milo. "You're Milo Iscariot, right?" 

Milo nodded. "I am, Lieutenant." 

The lieutenant nodded. "Excellent. Iscariot, Irvington..." She continued in this way until she reached Z, then spoke aloud to the entire group. "Okay, folks, this is how we're going to do this! In groups of six, we'll be transporting you aboard the ship. Once there, you will be given your cabin assignment. You'll have a couple hours to get unpacked, and you will then meet with your department supervisor. I need everyone to get into groups of six according to the division colors of your uniforms!" 

There was a pause as the group of ensigns moved into smaller lines based on their uniform colors. Milo was in the yellow group. Satisfied, the lieutenant tapped her badge once. "Transporter room, prepare to bring aboard crew members on my command. Group 1 Command, energize!" 

* * *

Milo walked through the halls of the Endeavour to his cabin, rolling a large blue suitcase behind him. Inside were several changes of clothes, basic toiletries, and a few personal effects. As he began to unpack his things, a knock came at his door. "Mr. Iscariot?" said a posh female voice, "It's Captain Gemini! Would you mind if I came in?" 

Milo's blood grew hot. It was her, Public Enemy #2, the same woman he'd met two years earlier aboard the Icarus. Suppressing some bile, he shouted "Come on in, captain!" The door slid open to admit her. 

Gem entered the room and smiled, giving Milo a brief handshake. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Milo. It seems like only yesterday we were on the Icarus together, and now we're here! Are you looking forward to our trip?" 

Milo nodded. "I am indeed, Captain. Exploring space has always been one of my childhood dreams, I can't wait to get started!" 

Gem beamed. "That's what I like to hear. I'll leave you to get settled, just be sure to come down to the welcome party in Ten Forward tonight! One of my friends from Ponyville is hosting, and she is, shall we say... Exuberant. See you then!" 

He steeled his resolve. He had come too far to fail now. Quickly, he changed back to human form and pulled up every available reference on human physiology. He had to study, and he hoped that all of this would not be in vain. Fooling the doctor on Starbase 402 was simple enough, the doddering old fool was easily distracted and very forgetful. Milo had been able to convince the doctor that he had indeed completed the physical, and was in perfect health. He’d heard about this Doctor Hoofer, and knew he had to step up his game if he was going to fool this one, too. 

* * *

It was a very tired and nervous Milo that entered sickbay the next morning, He had pulled what the Earthers referred to as an “all-nighter,” testing and tweaking in the hopes that everything would be perfect. He arrived just as Dustin was emerging from his office, pith helmet in hand. 

“Ah, Ensign ... Iscariot, correct?” Dustin asked. When Milo nodded in agreement, Dustin grinned. “Well, you made it without a moment to spare.” Dustin looked to the two burly nurses and said, “Okay, we can put that away for now, this one surrendered voluntarily.” 

The nurses looked sad, almost as if their fun had been spoiled, and slowly trudged away. “Okay, follow him to the changing room, and when you’re ready, I’ll see you in Exam One.” A male nurse escorted Milo to the changing room while Milo tried to remember to breathe normally. 

Clad in a typical hospital-style gown, Milo self-consciously clutched at the back, which was refusing all attempts to remain closed. Dustin entered and grinned. “Here, let me get that,” he said, extending a finger. Instantly, the back of the gown sealed up. 

“Now then, let’s get down to business,” Dustin said, approaching the biobed and giving it a pat. “Hop up here, and we’ll get started.” Milo gulped quietly, and walked slowly towards the biobed. Here goes nothing, he thought. 

* * *

“Ah, Dustin,” Gem said as he entered her ready room. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” She was reclining on one of the longer sofas, munching on a scone.

“Nothing dire, I can assure you,” Dustin replied, “just informing you that the last of the physicals on our new crop of phaser fodder—err, ensigns has been completed.” He handed a PADD over to Gem. “As you can see, they all check out as perfectly fit for duty.” 

Gem took it and looked over the results. “There’s something else to this, or you would have simply sent this over. What’s raising a flag with you, Dustin?” 

Dustin scrolled the PADD until he reached the name he was looking for. “This one, Ensign Iscariot. He was the last one to be examined. As you can see, his results were absolutely perfect.” 

Gem looked slightly puzzled. “And this is an issue ... why, exactly?” she asked. 

“Because, my dear captain, they’re too perfect.” Dustin pointed to the result of each measurement. “Everything, every function, all at the perfect level. The only other place I’ve seen results like this is in a textbook.” He noted Gem’s confused look. “All species have a baseline set of parameters that indicate ideal health ranges. Having someone fall smack at the center of every single one of these is about as rare as Auntie Pinkie not throwing a party because she isn’t in a party mood.” 

Gem looked shocked. “Rare, indeed. But, not impossible...” 

“No, not impossible,” Dustin affirmed, “but darn convenient if you ask me. I am only presenting my findings in the event of any strange happenings involving Ensign Iscariot. Other than that, I find he’s physically and mentally fit for duty.” 

Gem nodded. “I will note your concerns, and I sincerely hope they’re unfounded. Thank you, Doctor.” 

Dustin nodded and departed, leaving Gem to ponder this development. She agreed that it did seem strange to have a perfect textbook case on board, but even Dustin had said it wasn’t completely impossible. She opted to give Milo the benefit of the doubt – after all, he had proven himself quite handy in Engineering, and never caused any trouble. She made note of the report and filed it away. She figured she wouldn’t be needing it, but it was always good to keep around, just in case. 


	17. We Are Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adagio and K'bleh discuss family.

The fighters were well-skilled. Trained in the martial arts, they practiced their craft with deadly precision, leaving no one in any condition for a rematch. Together, they squared off against their opponents, each taking a predetermined stance, waiting for their foes to make the next move. A move that would dearly cost them if it wasn’t the correct move. 

What they didn’t know was that the two females, clad in standard Federation workout clothing, were just as skilled in the martial arts. Lieutenant Commander Adagio Dazzle, chief of security aboard the USS Endeavour, partnered today with Ensign K’bleh, made a formidable team. Under the tutelage of Commander Worf, they learned various methods to subdue the belligerent, the violent, the dangerous, all without the use of any form of weapon. 

Adagio feinted, her movement sparking an attack by the fighter facing her. As he lunged, she side-stepped, using the fighter’s momentum to carry him to the cold, hard floor, and applied a blow to a pressure point that would render the fighter immobile for a short period of time, long enough to apply restraining devices or secure him in a cell. She immediately bounced back into a ready stance and waited for the next move. 

The other fighter was quick. Moving fast, he made a parry attack at K’bleh, fists moving ahead of him a lightning speed. They never found their mark. Blocking the blows as fast as the fighter could throw them, K’bleh let out an enraged roar and grabbed hold of one of the fighter’s arms, throwing him roughly to the deck. Instinct took over, and she readied a strong blow to incapacitate her foe. The fighter was quick and rolled out of the way, returning to an attack stance while K’bleh regrouped, waiting for the next strike. 

She wouldn’t have to wait long. Leaping into the air, the fighter prepared to deliver a kick toward K’bleh’s head, a move that would have at least disoriented the Klingon, and possibly stoked her anger. She ducked underneath, sending a fist straight up into the fighter’s crotch. The fighter dropped like a stone, clutching his injured area and curling up into a ball. 

“Computer,” Adagio called out, “end simulation!” Both fighters faded away, and the familiar black and yellow-lined pattern of the holodeck returned. “You did well today, Ensign. I was quite pleased with your performance,” she said. 

K’bleh nodded. “Thank you, Commander. And congratulations on your promotion, it is an accolade well-deserved.” 

Adagio smiled. “I was glad the increase in difficulty didn’t throw you. Worf would be pleased with your progress.” 

“I thought the simulation seemed different today. I’m glad I was able to meet your challenge.” 

“Come on,” Adagio said, placing an arm around K’bleh’s shoulder, “let’s clean up and go to Ten Forward. We both deserve a little time to relax.” The two walked out of the holodeck. 

* * *

“Is there something on your mind, Ensign?” Adagio asked, sipping at her cherry limeade. K’bleh sat across from her, drinking a glass of prune juice. 

“I was merely reflecting on how far we have come since the first time we met,” K’bleh replied. “When Commander Worf introduced you as the assistant trainer, I admit to scoffing internally at how such a delicate female could possibly be so adept at the martial arts.” 

“I think Worf noticed it, too,” Adagio remembered, “because he had you challenge me. I wasn’t so delicate as you originally thought, was I?” 

K’bleh shook her head. “No...in fact, you greatly impressed me, once I was able to form coherent thoughts again. I am glad we were able to become friends after that.” 

Adagio smiled. “Be gracious in defeat, but even more so in victory. Something I learned from the captain’s father, and it stuck with me always. Besides, I admired your discipline and attention to ritual and detail.” 

“It is the Klingon way,” K’bleh stated proudly. “My parents instilled their sense of discipline upon me from an early age, and it was constantly reinforced as I was growing up on Qo’noS. It is our warrior heritage and respect of tradition that have allowed us to become what we are today—a noble race, proud of our past and confident for our future.” 

“Yes, I learned more about that from my talks with Commander Worf. I also learned the importance of family that Klingons prize as well.” Adagio sipped her drink. 

“Do Equestrians place the same values on their children?” quizzed K’bleh. 

Adagio thought about this for a moment. “In a way, I would say that parenting methods are similar. Parents try to instill in their foals the same types of core values that they have, in regard to respect for others and a sense of pride in heritage and nation. They also impart, or try to, things that the parents enjoy. For instance, my parents were both musicians, both with different styles. It was through my mothers that I learned to appreciate music as an art form, and because of my siren heritage, I was able to enjoy performing for large crowds.” 

“And yet, you are not exclusively a musician,” K’bleh observed. 

“No, because it wasn’t something I wanted to do professionally. I still perform for fun, but I felt greater satisfaction taking this opportunity.” Adagio sipped at her limeade. 

K’bleh pondered this. Finally, she commented, “From my studies of Equestrian life, I learned that one’s career path, in fact their sole calling in life, was dictated by something called a ‘cutie mark.’ Was this not the case with you?” 

“Cutie marks don’t always reflect what one will do in life,” Adagio answered. “For example, the town’s dentist had an hourglass for a mark. If it were true that a cutie mark was your sole occupation, she’d be a timekeeper because of that, or she’d have something related to dentistry. And the local mailmare, instead of having something mail-related, she has a set of bubbles. Sometimes, a cutie mark reveals personality more than career. The mailmare, for example, has a very bright and bubbly personality, always very easy-going and happy. The dentist, very punctual with her appointments, never keeps anypony waiting long.” 

“This is very interesting,” K’bleh remarked, impressed. “All of this ties in to my next question. From an early age, I was raised with a warrior’s discipline. I was told I would be either a champion on the battlefield, or a protector of the weak and oppressed. Which is why, when I joined Starfleet, I went into security. What made someone like yourself, with a rich musical background, want to be part of this way of life?” 

Adagio grinned. “It was because I was constantly standing up to those that tried to bully us. There was this one filly in particular, Rose Gold. She relentlessly bullied us because we looked different. She used to call my sisters and myself the ‘fishy freaks.’” 

K’bleh snarled. “Miserable cur.” 

Adagio nodded. “There was one day in particular that stands out. Seems this little snot decided to escalate things a bit, and knocked Sonata to the ground. Naturally, I stepped in and challenged her, that whole ‘pick on someone your own size’ thing. Now, I was at a disadvantage because one good blow with her hooves and I’d be down and out. But I remembered what Mama Vinyl taught me, from her experience working in some rough nightclubs: ‘The best strength you have in a fight is to use your opponent’s strength against them.’ So that’s what I did. I wore her out enough that I could subdue her, and never got a mark on me in the process.” 

“So, that one incident made you want to be a security chief?” K’bleh inquired. 

“Indirectly, I suppose that’s true. I became known as the girl that took Rose Gold down a few pegs, and was always asked by the others she bullied to look out for them, just in case she acted up again. As I grew older and discovered my siren powers of persuasion, I used that to defuse fights before they could start.” 

K’bleh looked confused. “In my readings, sirens fed upon negative energy, such as conflict. Does this not apply to you?” 

“It is believed that, due to my mix of Equestrian and human genes, plus the upbringing from my mothers, that I gain more strength from positive energy,” Adagio explained. 

K’bleh grinned. “Commander I greatly admire you. Although not raised as a warrior, you have the true warrior spirit. Even though you choose to drink that instead of a true warrior’s drink,” she said holding up her glass of prune juice. “I salute you on your promotion, and am honored to serve under you.” 

Adagio smiled. “Princess Luna would disagree with you on the ‘warrior’s drink’ part. And I consider it an honor to have someone as capable as you on my staff. Which is why I am pleased to give you these.” Adagio pulls out a small jewelry box. Opening the lid, two gold pips were set on the purple velvet interior. “Your work has been beyond compare, and because of this, you are advanced to the rank of full lieutenant, effective immediately. Congratulations, K’bleh!” 

K’bleh accepted the box with reverence and awe. She looked up, almost expecting this to be a dream, and saw Adagio smiling as brightly as she could. “Thank you, Commander,” she said when she gained the ability to speak again. “I will carry this rank with honor.” 

Adagio nodded. “I would expect no less from you.”


	18. A Brush With the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and Sunset meet their Starfleet counterparts and assist them in a search for Princess Celestia's missing hairbrush.

Gem is walking through Canterlot from the cafe to home, humming a tune to herself as she walks. The moon is out, and there’s a nice breeze blowing. Stopping at an intersection, she watches for cars and then goes across the street, still humming.

“Hey, Gem, wait up!” Sunset calls out, running to catch up with her. She falls in step next to Gem. “You seem in a good mood today, what’s up?” Sunset asks.

“I just can’t explain it,” Gem says, shrugging. “Everything seemed to go right today! Lessons were easy, they served my favorite food for lunch, I got an extra scone for free at Sugarcube Corner… it’s so strange!” They walk toward the higher-class area of town, “I was thinking about going home and watching TV. Care to join me?”

“Sure, I was looking for something to do tonight,” Sunset replied, walking alongside Gem. She took time to look around at all of the upscale homes as they entered Gem’s neighborhood. “Sometimes I forget just how phenomenally rich you are, you don’t act hoity-toity at all.”

“That’s on purpose,” Gem says, as they pass through the gates leading to her house. “Everyone I knew when I was little acted that way, so I decided not to.” She opens the door to find Steno looking incredibly confused. “Gem! Thank goodness you’ve made it! Things are a little weird around here!”

Gem stares at him. “Steno, you’ll have to be more specific. Weird how?”

Steno tries to form the proper words, but is unable to. Instead, he takes Gem’s hand and leads Gem and Sunset into the study. Gem and Sunset enter and are immediately stunned to see … themselves, wearing strange clothing. One has some kind of … what was that, some kind of weird cell phone in her hand? And what was she searching for, a good signal?

Steno clears his throat, and looks around nervously. “The lady of the house has returned, ma’am. Captain Gemini Shadow, may I present … Gemini Shadow.”

Sunset looks over and sees herself. “Captain … I sense a lot of confusion right now. And I think I’m a part of it as well.”

“Indeed,” say the two Gems together. “Who are you?”

“I am Captain Gemini Shadow of the USS Endeavour,” says the Captain.

“And I am…” Gem thinks. “Lady Gemini Shadow of Trottingham. What can I do for you two ladies? And are there more of you?”

The two Sunsets looked at each other. “If I weren’t seeing it, I wouldn’t believe it,” the lieutenant said.

“I am seeing it and I still don’t believe it,” the non-lieutenant replied.

The chirp of the communicator interrupted the four. “Dazzle to Away Team, report! Is everything okay down there?” said a worried and yet familiar voice.

“Let me guess … sirens?” Earth Sunset asked. Lieutenant Sunset nodded.

Captain Gem taps her badge, “Everything is fine, Miss Dazzle, apart from the fact that we appear to have met ourselves. Again. They don’t seem evil this time, though.” She looks to the two Earthers. “We’re here to search for a missing Equestrian artifact left behind by one of the Q continuum. Would you be interested in helping us?”

Sunset turned to Gem. “How long has it been since we’ve had an adventure?” she asked.

“Oh, I’d say a few months now,” Gem replied. “You up for it?”

Sunset nodded, and turned to the two Starfleet officers. “Okay, we’ll help you. Do we need to call our friends in on this?”

Captain Gem thought for a moment. “Assuming they are the same as my crew, I’d recommend against it. Keeping the four of us straight will be difficult enough. In the meantime, you’ll be beamed aboard our ship to be properly briefed about the mission, and then we can begin.” She taps her badge. “Endeavour, four to beam up!”

* * *

The four were joined in Captain Gem’s ready room by Raven and Twilight. Captain Gem offered a brief explanation following the shocked looks on the faces of Raven and Twilight, with Earth Gem filling in some blanks on her life.

“Wait a minute,” a shocked Commander Raven Shadow says, pointing between herself and Captain Gem. “You mean to tell me that her and I are … we’re … engaged?”

“You’re also not sisters in our world, so it works out okay,” Sunset explained. Raven shivered a little and sat back.

“While this is all fascinating, could we get back on topic, please?” Twilight said, fiddling with a PADD.

“You’re right, Miss Sparkle, let’s continue with the briefing,” Captain Gem said.

Twilight nodded and continued. “The artifact we’re looking for is, if you can believe it, Princess Celestia’s hairbrush. It was placed in your world by Discord, and if it is not found within 72 hours, the upcoming talks with Yakyakistan will end in war."

Earth Sunset shook her head. “Okay, the similarities are really too much to take in. You have a Discord, a Princess Celestia … and you say this Discord is a member of some kind of continuum that controls space and time?”

Twilight patted Earth Sunset’s hand. “I know this is a lot to take in all at once. But we think that’s the reason our Discord picked your world – the similarities. Can either of you think of where something like this might be hidden?”

* * *

“Aria, did you buy a new hairbrush recently?” Adagio called out across the flat.

“Nope, wasn’t me, maybe it was the Taco Belle,” Aria replied.

“Wasn’t me either, whatever it is,” Sonata called out from her room.

Adagio shrugged and put the brush in one of the vanity drawers, then resumed getting ready for her shower.

* * *

“And this hairbrush is vital enough to prevent a war?” Earth Gem asked. “I’d hate to see what would happen if her styling gel went AWOL….”

“She’d probably turn into Solar Flare and plunge the world into everlasting day or something,” said the two Sunsets at once. “That’s exactly what I was thinking!”

“Question is,” says Earth Gem, “Where do we start looking?” She looks to Earth Sunset. “My hairbrush is dark blue, Raven’s is dark purple, and… well, I don’t think either of those are inherently magical.”

“This brush would be very hard to miss,” Captain Gem explained. “It’s made of solid gold, with ruby inlays around the back and a circle of diamonds around the handle.” She paused. “Oh, and the pastel-colored ethereal strands of hair would be a dead giveaway, too.”

Earth Sunset nodded. “I suppose we should start by asking around, see if our friends might have found anything like that. It would stand to reason that Discord would recognize our friends and go to them first.”

“Agreed,” Gem says. She points to herself and Captain Gem, “I’ll handle Raven and the Dazzlings, you and you go over to Twi’s and Emmy’s side of town, and we’ll meet up at my place.”

“She’s quite the leader, isn’t she?” Captain Gem asked, impressed.

Sunset nodded and smiled. “It seems you do quite well yourself. We’re losing time, we’d better get going.”

* * *

“Twi and Emerald are together today, or so Twi’s text said,” Sunset said to Captain Gem when they materialized back on the planet. “It was nice of you to have us beamed down here, would have taken forever to get my car and come back this way.”

“My pleasure,” Captain Gem said, examining the surroundings. “And they said they’d be here?”

“Twilight called it a study party. Trust me, they’re here.” Sunset rang the doorbell.

Emerald opens the door, half naked and wearing, for some reason a cow costume while holding a riding crop. “Hey Sunny, what’s up? Gem, why do you look ten years older and are wearing a silly outfit?”

Captain Gem looked stunned while Sunset tried hard not to bust out laughing. “em—Emerald Wave, may I present Captain Gemini Shadow of the starship Endeavour. They need our help looking for something, and we were wondering--”

“Come along, sweetie, it’s milking time,” came a singsong voice. Twilight rounded the corner wearing a skimpy milkmaid outfit that highlighted her female curves and left little to the imagination. She came to a dead stop, seeing Sunset and what appeared to be Gem in weird pajamas, blushed furiously, and retreated back into the house.

“Um … come on in and wait in the living room, we’ll be right with you...” Emerald said, her voice trailing off in embarrassment.

“I wonder just how similar our worlds are … seems I may need to talk to some of my crew,” Captain Gem said softly, making Sunset giggle even more.

* * *

Meanwhile, Earth Gem and Lieutenant Sunset are in front of the Dazzlings’ front door. “So in your world,” Earth Gem was saying, “I’m Orion’s daughter? Imagine that! I’ll be sure to mention it when I see him next.” She knocks on the door, “They’re usually home at about this time, practicing music.”

The door opens and Sonata stands there, munching a taco-shaped confection. “Oh, hey Gem, hey Sunny – whoa, where’d you get the cool jumpsuit?”

“Sonata, this is Lieutenant Sunset Shimmer of the starship Endeavour. We need to ask you something, if you have a few minutes,” Gem said.

Sonata nodded. “C’mon in, have a seat. I’ll get Dagi and Aria.” She takes a bite of er confection. “Either of you want a choco taco?”

Gem smiled. “We’ll pass, but thanks for the offer.” The two walk into the flat and sit on the sofa.

“Good evening, dear girl,” Adagio says as she and Aria enter the room, smiling at Gem. “What brings you here this time of night?”

“We’re looking for a hairbrush,” Gem said.

“It’s made of solid gold, with ruby inlays around the back and a circle of diamonds around the handle,” added Sunset. “Have you seen it anywhere?”

“Oh, that was yours?” Adagio said. “I was wondering where it came from, I figured one of you had left it here the last time you stayed the night. Let me go get it.”

As she left the room, Gem took out her phone and started typing a message. “I’ll let the captain and Sunset know we found it.” She finished typing and pressed the ‘Send’ button.

Her phone pinged a second later. “It says, ‘thank goodness, we’re on our way.’ Wonder what that was all about.”

“Maybe they saw some kind of deranged she-demon or something,” Lieutenant Sunset said. “No offense to any former she-demons, of course.”

“None taken,” Sunset said, materializing in with Captain Gem. “So, where’s the brush?”

“Okay, I think this is what you’re loo--” Adagio stopped and stared at the two sets of Geminis and Sunsets. She promptly did what thousands of years of siren living had taught her to do – and fainted dead away.

Both Gems catch Adagio in their respective magical auras and float her over to the couch, with Captain Gem taking the hairbrush. “There, now we can get this back to Princess Celestia and the peace talks can go on as planned.” She smiles a little at Earth Gem. “You know, I’m beginning to see why Discord brought us here… I can see a lot of myself in you, my dear. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you,” Earth Gem says, shaking the Captain’s hand. “Good luck out there, in space.”

Captain Gem and Lieutenant Sunset moved away from the others. Tapping her comm badge, Captain gem said authoritatively, “Shadow to Endeavour. Two to beam up.” Instantly, they disappeared in a sea of sparkles.

Adagio started to wake up, and looked around groggily. “Wha...was that a dream, or did I really see two of each of you?” she asked.

“That was real,” Gem said, holding Adagio’s hand. “Yes, it was weird… but I hope we can visit them again someday.”

“If their Discord’s anything like the one I know about … they’ll be back,” Sunset said.

“In the meantime, I should be getting home,” Gem says, hugging both girls. “See you two tomorrow!” And she makes her way out, heading home again.


	19. Surprise! It's My Birthday?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and her cremates celebrate their collective birthday, though the party is mostly for Gem, since she has been working herself ragged recently.

"First officer's log, stardate 80895.1: We are in orbit above Gemaris Five, where for the past two weeks Captain Gemini and Commander Twilight have been serving as mediators in a trade dispute between the Gemarians and their nearest neighbour, the Dachlyds." 

Gem steps onto the bridge from the turbolift. "Commander Shadow, report," she says briskly. 

"Everything status quo, ma'am," Raven replies. 

Gem nods. "Very well. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my Ready Room." She departs, sitting down at her desk to look over some paperwork while, with magic, she puts a record on her turntable and lets it play. 

Sunset leans over and asks Raven, “Tell me, has the captain even taken time to herself since these negotiations started?” 

Raven shakes her head. “If she’s not in the room with the delegates, she’s poring over stacks of paperwork they generate.” 

Sunset shakes her head. "No wonder that girl has never had a steady relationship with anyone. She's married to the job." 

“I wonder if she remembers that her birthday’s coming up in a few days,” Twilight mused. “I know I got so wrapped up in things that I forgot until Emerald reminded me.” 

"I'll go find out," Raven says, getting up and pressing the button beside the Ready Room door. The chime beeps, and Gem's voice is heard: "Come in!" 

Raven enters the room and makes herself comfortable on one of the chairs. "Gem, do you know what day it will be in three days?" 

“Ummm ... Thursday?” Gem answers distractedly. “No, wait, it’s not time for Summer Sun Celebration again, is it?” 

Raven shakes her head. “No, Gem, it’s not that, but it is a special day. Do you remember what it might be?” 

Gem thinks about it a little longer. "Uh... no?" 

Raven sighs and takes Gem's PADD from her with magic. "It's our birthday, you goof! Yours, mine, Twi's, and Emmy's! Not that I would've expected you to remember, you've been working yourself to death!" 

"Raven, these negotiations are very important!" Gem interrupted. "The whole of Starfleet depends on these talks going well!" 

Raven stares at her. "Sis, this is a trade dispute between two races of two relatively small planets. In a backwater corner of the Alpha Quadrant. This is barely a blip on Command's radar, they only had us do it because we happened to be in the area at the time. I know how important having and keeping your command is to you, but you can't keep being the Captain all the time. Sometimes, you have to be Gem, my silly big sister." 

Gem sighs. “You’re right. I have been working too hard lately. I just wanted to make sure we did an excellent job with this, so perhaps they’d consider us for bigger things some day.” She smiles. “I promise I’ll take time to myself, especially for our birthday.” She pauses. “What day was it again?” 

Raven sighs. "Thursday."

* * *

A couple hours later, Raven has gathered the other six Equestrians aboard, minus Gem, in her quarters. "Everyone, our fearless leader has a dedication problem. It's gotten so bad that she forgot this Thursday is our birthday. My proposal is this: A surprise party." 

Dustin smirked. “Or, we could save time and just tell her she already had the party and it was wonderful. Not like she’d notice anyway.” This earned him a jab in the ribs from Sonata’s elbow. He yelped in pain. “What?” he asked, rubbing his side, shooting a hurt look at Sonata. 

“Give him one for me too, Sonata,” raven said, unamused. Dustin yelped again. “Now, should we hold it in Ten Forward or on the holodeck?” 

"I say the holodeck," says Adagio. "I've seen her in Ten Forward maybe three times, and even when not in uniform people still treat her as the Captain. This should be something where she's just Gem, like when we were kids." 

“Yeah, the only time she really loosens up is on the holodeck, in that music program she has,” Sonata agreed. “Let’s keep it in the family, on the holodeck.” 

“Tell you what,” Dustin said, rubbing his sore ribs, “you tell me her favorite cake and I’ll make it for her. I’ll even do a dinner if you want, just tell me her favorites.” 

Aria looked at Dustin strangely. “You cook?” she asked, incredulous. 

“And he’s really good at it, too! And not just at tacos, but at other stuff I normally don’t eat!” Sonata declared proudly. 

"So that would explain why you've been spending more and more time in his quarters recently," Adagio said, smirking. "And I thought you were just having lessons in the horizontal tango." 

Raven looks to Dustin. "Her favourite cake is red velvet with dark chocolate and vanilla frosting, and dinner-wise, she really likes fettuccini Alfredo served with a nice wine." 

“Can do,” Dustin replied, “and Adagio ... maybe you should give that Tellarian mechanic a tumble if you’re so interested in ‘lessons.’” Sonata sat next to him, blushing. Adagio started blushing as well.

* * *

Three days later, Gem wandered through the halls of the ship, looking thoroughly bedraggled after another long day of negotiations. Twilight had been absent owing to another engagement that she had been suspiciously vague about, but she hadn't had enough brainpower left over to deal with it. She wanders in the vague direction of her quarters, looking tired. 

Raven intercepted Gem in the corridor. “Whoa, another fun session with the delegates, I see. Well, let’s forget about that. Come with me, I know how to take your mind off of all that.” 

"Does it involve a long, hot bath and a glass of wine?" Gem asks as they walk together. "Because I could use that, I think." 

“I can guarantee at least one of those right now.” She led Gem toward the holodeck. “Captains first,” Raven said with a theatrical bow, gesturing toward the door. 

Gem giggles. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I'm off duty and everything!" She goes through the door and looks around. "...the holodeck? Are we putting on a show tonight, Amethyst?" 

“Well, not in the strictest sense...” Raven said coyly. She opened the door to reveal the other six, minus Dustin, standing near a table with a giant cake perched atop it. A banner strung across the ceiling read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”, and as Gem stepped inside, everyone yelled “SURPRISE!!!!!” 

Gem smiles and hugs each of them all in turn, "Oh girls, you did this for me? For our birthday and everything?" 

Raven nodded. "Trust us, you need this. And you deserve it too!" 

Dustin poked his head out of a small kitchen area. “Oh, good, the last birthday girl is here. Okay, everyone take your seats, dinner is served.” As they sat down, a computer-generated waiter began pouring glasses of wine for everyone. “Chateau Picard Chardonnay,” the waiter announced. “A most excellent vintage.” 

Dustin poked out again. “Compliments of Captain Picard,” he said. “He sent this along when I informed him it was your birthday and you enjoyed a nice wine with your fettuccine. Oh, did I mention we were having that for dinner? Well, too late now. Service will begin momentarily.” 

Gem giggles and claps, "Awwww, how sweet! I'll send him a thank you note later. Ooh, and fettuccine too? Oh my!" 

Raven grins. "Now there's the adorable little dork I remember from when we were kids," she says, giving Gem's cheek a nuzzle. 

Emerald smiles. "I remember when Twi and Gem first went to the Manehattan Public Library, they geeked out so hard, I was afraid the place would explode from the weapons-grade cute!" 

“I love books!” Twilight and Gem said in unison, before collapsing in a fit of giggles. 

Meanwhile, the waiters had begun serving the main course. Dustin emerged from the kitchen and sat down at the last seat at the round table. “Ladies, I do hope you enjoy tonight’s dinner, I put my best efforts into it. And now, before we eat...” He raised his wine glass. “A toast to Gem, Raven, Twilight, and Emerald. We wish you all the best for the coming year, and much success in your endeavours.” Rumbles of assent swept across the table as everyone took a drink. 

Sunset looked over at Gem and smiled. “Feeling any better now, Gem?” she asked. 

"Much," Gem said, smiling honestly for the first time in weeks. "I can't remember when I've felt this relaxed... I think I let myself get caught up in the chains of command." 

"Again," Emerald snarks, but smiling still. "Seriously. I love you, Gem, but... sheesh. You're going to go completely grey before our 5-year mission is over!" 

“Remember, all work and no play makes Gem a dull captain,” Dustin said. “We worry about you because we care, and we hate seeing you pushing yourself so hard. So, tonight, your friendly neighborhood doctor prescribes nothing but fun and relaxation for you!” He motions to everyone to begin eating. “Please, dig in and tell me what you think.” 

Gem nods and happily digs in to her food. "Ooh, it's so creamy... the sauce is melting in my mouth!" she manages to say after a while. "Where did you learn to cook, Dustin?" 

“During my residency on Earth,” he said in between mouthfuls. “It was about the only way I could get any nutrition other than hospital food or junk food. I got fairly good at it.” 

"You can cook over my hot stove any time," Sonata said, giving Dustin bedroom eyes. "I don't even have to sing to put him under my spell!" Everyone laughed. 

After dinner, the cake was served. "Ooooh, red velvet with dark chocolate and vanilla! Dustin, you're miraculous!" Gem gushes. 

Dustin smiled and raised his glass. “Happy birthday, Gemini.” he said. “And happy birthday to you, Raven, Emerald, and Twilight.” 

"Happy birthday!" cheered the girls, clinking their respective glasses. 

* * *

After the party, Raven and Gem walked back toward Gem's quarters, taking the long way through the ship. "Thank you for tonight, Raven," Gem said, smiling at her sister. "It's been a long time since I've had a party like that... and I'm glad it happened." 

Raven wrapped Gem in a tight hug. “I’m glad you finally had some fun. I hate seeing you all wrapped up in your work.” Breaking the hug, she kept her hands on Gem’s shoulders. “You know you can come to any of us if you need companionship, right? Me, Twi, Emmy, Dagi, Aria, Sonata, Sunset, Dustin ... we all would love to spend time with you.” 

Gem nods, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I don't do it often enough... I guess I'm afraid of being seen as anything less than... well, the Captain." 

Raven nods. "I understand... I watch you weigh that struggle every day from my seat on the bridge. Truth be told? I don't want a command of my own. I wouldn't be able to cope with the decisions you have to make. But..." She meets Gem's eyes. "No captain becomes a Captain by letting the job consume them. Hell, it took Picard seven whole years before he finally joined his crew for their poker games. But he got there in the end." She held Gem close. "And Twilight Sparkle never got to be the princess of friendship by hiding in her library with books all the time. As far as I'm concerned, once that duty uniform comes off, you're just Gemini Shadow, a young adventure girl on a trek to the stars, with a ship full of friends and family who would go through Tartarus and back if you asked them to." She holds Gem's hand. "Don't be afraid of being you, Gem. You're the best big sister in the world, and you always will be." 

Gem hugs her sister tight, letting her tears flow freely. “Happy birthday, little sister, who will always be more than that. You are my confidant, my rock, my strength. Thank you for just being ... you.” 

Raven runs her fingers through Gem's hair, then leads her to her bed and tucks her in, like their mother used to do. "Anytime, big sis. Any time."


	20. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and Raven discuss what their purpose is in light of the attack on San Francisco.

“Up late reading again, sis?” said Raven Shadow, walking into Gem’s quarters. 

Gem looked up from her PADD looking mildly surprised. “Yes… why do you ask?”

“Because you’ve been doing that every night since Brown flew the coop,” Raven pointed out, sitting beside her sister on the bed. “What are you worried about?”

“I’m not sure…” Gem admitted. “I found some reports on what Section 31 was like under his tenure… like a never-ending political rally, they say, similar to Nuremberg, or the Trump rallies in the early 21st century.” She flicked to one news article. “In the seventh month of that president’s sole term in office, a fascist rally broke out on the campus of a large university. Attendees carried torches and chanted slogans dating back to Nazi-era Germany. The following morning, counter-protestors were run over by a motor vehicle, driven by one of the white nationalists.”

Raven shivered. “And I thought the humans had worked all that stuff out of their systems.”

“Most of them have,” Gem replied. “But not all, as we well know.” She shakes her head and sighs. “I’ve been spending the past few days wondering… what am I here for? What is our purpose? Faced with such great evil, what can we do to stop it?”

Raven entwined her fingers with Gem’s, and held her hand tight. “What Princess Celestia would want us to do,” she replied. “To spread the magic of friendship across the universe.”

“But is it enough?” Gem asked, looking into Raven’s eyes.

Raven nodded. “You and I were in a billion productions of the Hearthswarming play when we were girls. You know what happened just as well as I do.”

“Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum, and Chancellor Puddinghead found themselves turned to ice, because the power of hate had frozen their hearts, and allowed the Windigoes to take over,” Gem responded. “Were it not for the timely intervention of Smart Cookie, Private Pansy, and Clover the Clever, Equestria as we know it would not exist.”

Raven nodded. “Exactly. There will always be hatred out there, Gem. There’ll always be people out there who make a fuss over someone’s ancestry, or the color of someone’s skin. Our goal is to make sure that those who need to be defended are defended, and those who would do them harm are dealt with.” With her own magic, she floated Gem’s PADD to a corner of the room. “Now come on, big sis. You’ve got a meeting with the big-wigs tomorrow, and we don’t need you sleeping in your pancakes again.”

Gem sighed theatrically. “Nap in them once, and they never let you forget it… goodnight, Raven.”

Raven smiled. “Goodnight, Gem.”


	21. Scars Run Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin confesses his reasons for despising changelings during a dinner with Gem and Sonata.

" ... and the new parameters you've set to detect the changelings seem to be working," Captain Gemini Shadow said to Doctor Dustin Hoofer. The two sat in Dustin's office in Sickbay. Gem flipped through documents on her PADD, and Dustin idly entered data into a terminal display. "Thanks to those tweaks, the Asylum reports that they've been able to flush out more changeling impersonators from the higher ranks of Starfleet, and while the percentage of infiltration is still high, the numbers are dropping week to week."

"Uh huh," Dustin casually replied, still typing into his display. "Good to know there's some good news coming out of there these days."

"Also, we have a request form Queen Calyx's medical staff. They want to know if you could analyze a sample of changeling saliva to see if its regenerative properties can be replicated artificially. The sample should be arriving soon by secure transport," Gem said, handing the PADD over to Dustin.

Dustin looked over the PADD display briefly, grimaced, and carelessly tossed it on top of a stack of papers. "I'll give it my highest priority," he monotoned. "Is there anything else? I need to finish my daily reports and look over the medical inventory."

"Yes, frankly, there is," Gem said, leaning back in the chair to regard her doctor carefully. "Lately, I'm noticing a reluctance to complete any tasks related to the changelings under Queen Calyx's rule. It took much longer than expected to even come up with the modification to the detection algorithms you developed, and implementing it came only under threat of disciplinary action. When we hosted the queen and her ambassadors, you shrank to the back of the room and it wasn't until Miss Dusk asked where you were that we noticed you were gone."

Dustin sighed wearily. "I guess it won't matter if I said I was tired, would it?"

"We're all tired, Dustin, but this...this goes way beyond that. Your whole demeanor has changed, and it's becoming a concern." She leaned forward. "We want to help you, Dustin, let us know what the problem is."

"Captain," Dustin said tersely, "we've been through a lot of wormholes over the course of our mission, so believe me when I say this is one wormhole you really don't want to explore. I respectfully ask you to please accept my explanation that I do not easily trust changelings, and leave it at that." The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Dustin broke the uneasy silence. "I need to return to my reports, Captain. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Gem shook her head sadly. "No. We're done for today. Thank you, Doctor." She stood and walked to the door, pausing to look back at Dustin, who had resumed his typing. She blinked, and turned away as the doors opened. Dustin didn't even glance up as Gem left the office.

* * *

"And he hasn't said anything about it at all?" Gem asked Sonata, who was seated at the helm console.

"No, ma'am," Sonata emphatically replied. "I've tried to find out, but he keeps changing the subject or just saying he doesn't want to talk about it."

"That is strange, because he usually tells her everything," Aria chimed in. "I'm surprised he didn't mention I was in Sickbay last week to have ... something taken care of."

Sonata blinked. "Was that you that he had to lance that giant pimple on your--"

"Okay, more than we needed to know, thank you," Gem interrupted. "The point is, there's something he's not telling us and I fear it could become a problem later on. Sonata, would you try to persuade him to open up to me about it? I figure you might have better luck with that than I would."

Sonata nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll do what I can."

* * *

Gem, Sonata, and Dustin sat around a table in Dustin's quarters. Empty bowls sat in front of all of them. They were dressed in casual clothing as opposed to the typical Starfleet uniforms. "Thank you for dinner, Dustin," Gem said, "I don't believe I've ever had that before. What was it called again?"

"Gazpacho," Dustin answered. "Ancient Earth recipe."

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to cold soup," Sonata said, "but that was tasty enough."

Dustin poured more drinks for the three of them, and sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get down to the business at hand. If you two will head over to the sofa, I will join you momentarily."

Gem and Sonata sat next to each other. Dustin returned to the gathering after retrieving an old book, one that had clearly seen a lot of use in its life. He sat in a chair opposite the two. "I don't think I ever mentioned to both of you that Dad once worked as an agent for the princesses, spying on the changelings, which put his life in great danger. Not long after Chrysalis's attempt to seize Canterlot, and thus Equestria, failed, Dad and Mom were moved into the castle for their own safety."

Both Gem and Sonata looked surprised. "I know that during my first physical you mentioned a kidnapping attempt," Gem said.

"I never mentioned by whom," Dustin replied. "You both are about to learn the story behind it all." He held up the book. "This is the journal I kept over the years. No one, not even the princesses, have seen the contents or heard what I've written on these pages. I trust that anything I reveal tonight will be kept in the highest secrecy, and will not go beyond these walls."

Gem and Sonata nodded. "Of course, Dustin," Gem said.

"Very well, then. Let's start at the beginning." Dustin opened the book and began to read.

* * *

_Hearthswarming Day, 24th Year of Luna's Redemption_

_It's Hearthswarming night and this is my first official entry in my brand new journal. Aunt Celestia got it for me, and it's very pretty. Aunt Luna got me a new pair of pajamas with little moons on them. I love my aunts very much, but sometimes I wish they'd get me toys like the other foals._

_Aunt Celestia said that it might be a good idea to keep a journal as I get older. She says it's a way to organize my thoughts, and I can tell it things that I don't want anypony else to see or hear. She told me of some of her students that kept journals and how it helped them through bad times. I don't really think I've had bad times yet. Aunt Celestia says it's a magic journal. All I have to do is talk to it and the words will appear. Whoa, it's working!_

_Anyway, Aunt Celestia was nice enough to get me this, so I think I'll start using it._

_I don't know what to put in journals, so I guess I'll just tell a little about myself. My name is Dustin Hoofer and I'm 7 years old. I live with my mommy and daddy in a big castle in a city called Canterlot. Dad says not to get a big head just because I live in a castle. He says funny things like that now and then. But just to be safe, I keep measuring my head to make sure it's not getting any bigger._

Sonata and Gem smiled.

_My aunts are the rulers of a land called Equestria, which Canterlot is a part of. I learned that in history class. My aunts call Daddy "Longhaul," and he says he got that name from pulling wagons full of stuff all over Equestria when he was younger. That's how he met my mom. Mom's a zebra named Kallisti and she's really smart. She knows about all kinds of plants and how to make medicines from them to help ponies get better. I love watching my mommy work in her greenhouse._

"Is that where you learned our botany skills?" Gem asked.

"Mom had bunches of books about the subject, and she taught me well about growing things. I guess having earth pony blood helped with that, too," Dustin replied.

_I'm not like the other colts and fillies. I look more like what my aunts call a 'human,' because I don't have fur or a tail and I walk on two legs instead of four. I have to go see doctors a lot, and they call me a 'project' or an 'experiment' and it makes me wonder what will happen to me because I read about bad experiments in science class and I don't want to be a bad experiment because they get what's called 'terminated' and I don't want that. Four times a year the doctors take measurements and poke me with needles and stick a thermometer up my butt. I don't like that part much._

"None of us did," Sonata said with a shiver.

"Small wonder we're all wary of doctors. Or, at least, used to be," Gem remarked, smiling at Dustin.

Dustin blushed a little and continued reading.

_One time after a doctor's visit I asked Mommy if I was a good experiment and if they were gonna terminate me. She hugged me tight and said I was her wonderful little boy and they'd terminate me over her dead body, if any of them still survived._

"Awwwwwwwwwwww," Gem and Sonata said in unison.

_I don't know why we have to live in the castle instead of a regular house like the foals I go to school with. I asked Aunt Luna about it and she said that Daddy did some brave things that put his life in danger, so they brought him here to be safe. My Daddy is very brave, Aunt Luna says. I believe her because it looks like nothing can really scare him. He told me some stories about when he used to pull wagons and some of them were really funny. Like the time a bunch of rabbits tried to steal his load of lettuce. I thought of Daddy trying to get away from a whole herd of rabbits and it made me laugh._

The ladies chuckled.

_Daddy has a friend that visits the castle a lot. His name is Orion Shadow, and Daddy says that him and Mister Shadow met a long time ago in a town called Ponyville. Daddy said Mister Shadow is an even bigger hero than he is, but I still think my daddy's a big hero too. Mister Shadow says he has two daughters about my age, and that they're human like me. They come to Canterlot to get seen by the doctors and get measured and poked with needles and get thermometers stuck up their butts. At least, I guess that's what happens because that's what they do to me._

"Dustin!" Gem exclaimed, pretending to be indignant.

"Well, you were seeing the same doctors, so I took a wild guess."

_Mister Shadow says that's why his daughters don't come to visit because they get so sad after the doctor visit that they don't want to talk to anyone else. Maybe someday I'll get to meet them._

"How prophetic," Gem said, smiling. "I'll have to ask him about his adventures with your dad the next chance I get to talk to him." She blinked a tear from her eye.

Dustin took Gem's hand and gave it a squeeze, then continued.

_I go to school in Canterlot, but I'm in what they call a 'gifted and talented' class. Mommy said that was just fancy talk for really smart colts and fillies, and Daddy says it don't matter how gifted or talented you are if you don't have the common sense to back it up. I get along with most of the colts and fillies, except for this one colt that teased me about the way I looked and called me a 'tailless baboon,' which was really mean, so I bopped him in the nose and got in trouble for it. Daddy said I wasn't supposed to fight unless I had no other choice, but he was proud of me for standing up for myself. He still grounded me for fighting, though, and I deserved it, and his punishment was better than what Aunt Celestia had me do which was write her a 'friendship report' about how I apologized and tried to make friends with the colt that called me a baboon._

Aunt Luna came in and said it's getting late and I need to get ready for bed and she wants to see if the pajamas she got me fit okay, so I better stop for now.

"You had to write an actual friendship report to Princess Celestia?" Sonata asked, amazed.

"Yes, and it was every bit as horrible as it sounds." Dustin grimaced. "So, now you have a glimpse into my past. Let's continue on, before I lose my nerve." Dustin turned the page and began reading.

* * *

_March 6, 24th Year of Luna's Redemption_

_Today was magic training day. Once a week I go to see Aunt Celestia and we both see if I can do simple magic. She says it's to see if I got any traces of Equestrian magic from my mom and dad. What I do is try to pick up things using magic, and once I do that, float them around a little bit. I'm not sure how it all really works, but from what Aunt Celestia taught me, there's two types of magic. The first is grabby magic, what we use to pick something up with, like a set of hands but with magic. The second is floaty magic, where things can be moved around. By using both of these magics together, we can pick things up and move them at the same time._

_I have a little bit of grabby magic because I can pick up small things and hold them in the air for a little while. My floaty magic isn't all that strong, but Aunt Celestia says that's okay because that's something we can practice and right now it's more important to learn the grabby before the floaty._

"A very simple way to put it, but very accurate," Gem said. Sonata nodded.

Dustin looked at the next paragraph and began to blush. The two stared at him curiously. Clearing his throat, Dustin continued reading.

_The unicorns have stronger magic than I do, but it's because they have horns that allow them to focus their magic better. At least, that's how Aunt Celestia said it worked. I said I had something that resembled a horn and could I use that, and then she started coughing and her cheeks turned bright red and she said we'd have to think of something else we could try. I don't know what all the fuss was about and I don't know why Aunt Luna found it so funny._

Sonata and Gem collapsed into a fit of laughter as Dustin's cheeks turned redder. "Oh, come on, I was seven! Give me a break!" Dustin pleaded, to no avail. He sat and waited while the two composed themselves, everyone taking a drink.

"Did Luna laugh as hard as we did?" Sonata wondered.

Dustin cast his eyes down. "Picture her laughing with the Royal Canterlot Voice," he croaked. This started the girls laughing again. Once everyone had calmed down, Dustin resumed.

_Because of my magic training with Aunt Celestia, I get to leave school early. School's not all that bad, I guess. The others don't really pick on me much anymore ever since that colt called me a baboon and I bopped him. Daddy says I should use my brain instead of my fists to stop the others from picking on me. I asked him if that meant I should hit them with my head instead and he laughed and said no, I should try to outsmart them. He said if I could get the others to laugh at the bully instead of me, it might help stop getting picked on. I haven't had the chance to test it yet, which is a good thing because it means no one's picking on me._

_My magic class was cut short today because Princess Twilight was coming to town to talk about magic training for all of us human children. I didn't know much about Princess Twilight except for what I read about her in history class. She once was in control of the Elements of Harmony, along with five of her friends from Ponyville, and she did a lot of good things. Aunt Luna says that Princess Twilight was one of Aunt Celestia's best students, and she was the one that helped beat the bad Nightmare Moon that had taken over Aunt Luna. I should send her a letter and thank her for doing that because I love my Aunt Luna very much and couldn't imagine not having her around._

_I was able to see Princess Twilight arrive at the castle today, and she had one of her daughters with her. Her daughter looked just like her, only human and with glasses. I'd heard some of the foals call some of us smart students 'brainiac,' and I don't know what that is but I think Princess Twilight's daughter would look like one. I'd bet she's as smart as her mother, maybe even smarter. Maybe one day I'll get to meet her and we can talk about being human and stuff._

Dustin raised hid eyes and fixed a hard stare on Sonata and Gem. "Not. One. Word. To Twilight about this."

Gem and Sonata did their best to look innocent. "Why, Dustin, we would never breathe a word about how you called Twilight a brainiac to her, would we, dearest Sonata?" Gem asked in a haughty tone.

Sonata pshhh'ed. "Oh, perish the thought," she said, smiling.

Dustin eyed the two warily, and continued.

 _Oh yeah, today there were some new colts that joined our class today. I don't_ _know who they are or where they're from, but I caught them looking at me a lot all day long. Every time I looked at them they turned their heads and looked at something else. I thought I kept seeing their eyes flash green, but I think it was a trick of the lights in the schoolroom._

Sonata and Gem shared a worried glance.

_I better get my homework done because Aunt Celestia says she's gonna check it over before dinner and I have no excuse since magic class ended early. It shouldn't take long because it's really easy and maybe I can go play in the gardens before dinnertime._

"W--were they who we think they were?" Sonata asked cautiously.

Dustin nodded slowly. "This next chapter is gonna be difficult. Let's get some refills before we continue."

* * *

"So, this is it. There's a lot of emotions here," Dustin cautioned, "and I haven't read this journal in years, so I don't know how I'm going to react to reliving this event again." He took a deep breath. "You wanted to know what my deal was with the changelings, and now you're gonna find out. I owe you both that much."

Sonata kissed Dustin's cheek. "Just do your best. We're not going to judge you, okay?"

"Do you want me to call Counselor Shimmer, Dustin?" Gem asked.

"No, I'd rather involve as few people as necessary in this," Dustin answered, steadying himself. "Okay, let's go."

"No," Gem said gently, taking Dustin's hand. Sonata took the other one. Together, they guided him onto the sofa and sat next to him, one on each side. "Now, we can go." Sonata wrapped an arm around Dustin's shoulder and began to gently massage him.

Dustin took another breath. "Thank you. And, here we go."

* * *

_May 13, 24th Year of Luna's Redemption_

_So much has happened in the past couple of days that it's very hard for me to_ _understand just what's going on anymore. So many ponies want me to talk about what happened--my parents, my aunties, the Royal Guard investigators, the royal psychiatrist--but I don't know what to say to any of them. Everypony's being so overly nice to me and treating me like I'm gonna break or something, and it's really making me scared, even more so than I was yesterday, when all of this started. So, I guess I'll tell this to you, journal, because I know you won't react any differently once I do._

_Yesterday started out like my days always do. I get up, get cleaned up and dressed, have breakfast, and head to school. It was a nice day, warm for spring, and I began my walk to school like I always do on nice, warm days. Most of the ponies here don't even give me a second glance anymore, I guess they've gotten used to seeing the human kid walking around town. There's a few that wave and say hello, though, they're not all snobs._

_I was a good distance away from the castle when those two weird colts caught up with me. We'd gotten pretty friendly, so I didn't mind when they walked along with me. I didn't notice anything strange at all, really. At least, until I saw that two more weird ponies had joined us. I tried asking about them, but the first two kept ducking the question, changing the subject whenever I brought it up._

Sonata wrapped her arm around Dustin's and gave it a gentle hug.

_We were almost to the school grounds when the four of them tried to steer me down an alleyway. Something really felt wrong about this and I didn't go. They tried pushing me, but I didn't budge. Finally, one of them said, "Just do it here, and quick!" What happened next I could barely believe, and I was seeing it first-hand._

_Green flames surrounded the four weird ponies, and they started to change. Their horns became full of holes, they sprouted see-through wings, their bodies looked like they were encased in armor, and their eyes were bright blue and segmented, like a bug's. They shot beams from their horns and although I was fighting against it, they started to pull me towards the alley._

Tears began to form in Dustin's eyes. His breath hitched, and he took a moment to steady himself before he continued reading.

_I started screaming, as loud as I could. Next thing I know the place was filled with big, burly ponies, Some were pegasi, others were unicorns, but all of them were big and strong. The unicorns were blasting the...things with their magic while one of the pegasi wrapped me tight in her wings. Other pegasi flew over us, watching from the air. I didn't recognize who the pegasus was that was holding me and I started to fight back, until I heard her speak. I knew her voice. It was Feather Shield, one of the Royal Guards, and so were the others. I didn't recognize them because they had no armor on, but I'd seen a few of them on patrol at the castle._

_As they were taking the four whatever-they-were away, one of the unicorns came over to us, and after lighting his horn, teleported all three of us directly to the throne room. My Aunties were very shocked and surprised to see this, and the way everypony was talking started to make me think I had done something horribly wrong. I--_

Dustin stopped, and covered his face with his hands, His shoulders hitched as he sobbed quietly. Sonata wrapped him in a hug. "It's okay, sweetie. Just let it out." She held him and rocked back and forth while Gem rubbed his forearm reassuringly.

After a few minutes, Dustin wiped his eyes and continued reading.

_I tried to hold back, but I guess a few tears leaked out. Auntie Celestia saw this and scooped me up in a giant wing-hug. Auntie Luna soon followed, and both of them were telling me that it was all right, I was safe, and they were glad I wasn't hurt. They said I should go to the doctor to make sure I was okay once they heard I was caught in a beam by those things. I did as they asked._

_The doctor examined me, and had me do some simple tests with my magic. I like this doctor better than the ones I have to see every other time. This one was actually nice and treated me with some respect. Once I was finished there, I was brought back to a special room in the castle. This is Auntie Celestia's special room, used only for times of extreme emergency. This must have been one, because the room was full of ponies. Mom and Dad were there, as were Aunties Celestia and Luna, there was an investigator from the Royal Guard, even Princess Twilight and Mister Orion were there from Ponyville. They all stopped talking when I entered the room. I hate when grownups do that. It usually means that I screwed up and am about to get a Stern Talking To._

"I hated that, too," Gem soothed. "Always made you feel like they were talking about secret adult stuff."

_Auntie Celestia and Mister Orion spoke to me first. Mister Orion told me that those things were changelings, and that they were trying to kidnap me to get back at my dad. I didn't understand why these changelings were so interested in a wagon puller until Auntie Luna told me that Dad once did something very special for Equestria by spying on the changelings. They were planning an attack and Dad actually volunteered to put himself at risk to help stop whatever it was the changelings were planning._

_Dad came over to me and apologized for what happened. I don't think I like it when grownups apologize to me, especially when they weren't the ones that tried to kidnap me. Dad hugged me tight, and when I hugged him back, I felt something wet against my cheek and I felt Dad's shoulders hitching a bit. He had no idea, as did anypony else in that room, that I might be considered a target because of what Dad did. I just hugged him, tears of my_ _own starting again even though I didn't want them to. Soon, Mom and my aunties were hugging me tight, and we all just--_

Dustin broke down again as Sonata and Gem tried their best to console him. "I had no idea it was this bad," Sonata whispered.

"I'm sorry," Dustin croaked. "I didn't think I'd react like this. I knew I'd react, but--"

"Don't apologize," Gem said softly. "It's all right."

Dustin nodded. And after drawing another deep, shuddering breath, he began reading again.

_\-- we all just stayed that way for what seemed like a long time._

_Princess Twilight wanted to know everything I could tell her about the changelings. She wanted to know how they acted, how they were around the other foals, mainly because she wanted the other human children to be safe in Ponyville. I told her everything I could. I didn't know if it would help, but I told her all that I knew about them and things to look for._

_Princess Twilight and Mister Orion left with my parents, leaving me with my aunties and the investigator. The investigator explained that a formal statement was needed in order to punish the changelings that tried to grab me. Auntie Luna sat with me, and told me to just tell everything that happened from the time I left the castle until it happened. I tried again to be brave, like my dad was, but I started to break down a couple of times. Auntie Luna hugged me and told me it was okay, this would be done soon, and I was very brave for standing up to them. We finished the statement and I went back to our living quarters to relax for the rest of the day. I asked about my schoolwork and Auntie Luna said that would be taken care of._

"They barely gave you a chance to breathe," Sonata remarked.

"So that's why we were all on lockdown for a couple of weeks back then," Gem mused. "Dad said there was a crisis, but he didn't go into detail."

Dustin managed a weak smile and a sad chuckle. "Sorry I ruined your playtime."

Gem smiled warmly. "No need for that."

Dustin scanned the page and began to read.

_Today, I started getting ready for school as I always did when Dad told me that I didn't have to do that. He asked me to come out to the living room. Auntie Celestia and Luna were there. Auntie Celestia explained that after what happened yesterday, it was decided between Auntie Luna and herself that it would be in my best interest to continue my schooling here in the palace instead of in the public schools. I knew from talking to my friends that any time a grownup says something is being done in your best interest, it's not gonna be fun or good. Auntie Luna said that at the beginning of next week, a private tutor would come in and give me my lessons. I asked about my friends at school, and I was told that I couldn't see them unless they wanted to come to the castle at a set time. I knew as busy as some of them were with hoofball practice and other things that this meant I'd never see any of them again. Auntie Celestia said that I should talk to the royal psychiatrist about everything that happened. I told her I didn't want to, and just wanted to go back to my room. They seemed sad to hear this, but agreed to let me go. Auntie Celestia said that I should talk out my feelings, and if I didn't want to talk to anypony in particular, I could always put them in my journal. I nodded and went to my room. And here we are now._

_I don't know what to feel. I feel sad, angry, scared, confused...all at once. I hate the changelings for what they did to me. I hate the changelings for what they did to Dad. As long as I live, I will always hate the changelings. Mister Orion says there are good changelings, but I don't fully believe that. I will never fully trust any so-called good changelings. The changelings tried to take me, but instead, they took my freedom away. And I hate them even more for that._

The three sat in silence as Dustin closed his journal. "I'd heard stories about good changelings," Dustin said after a while, "but I always thought them to be fairy tales. I was completely convinced that there was no such thing as a good changeling, and now here we are working with a group of them, or so they claim to be."

"Dustin," Gem said, "now that I know your true feelings, I will attempt to limit your exposure to Queen Calyx and her group. All I ask in return is that you carry out your duties as related to them in a timely manner, and not relegate them to the bottom of your to-do list simply because of who they came from."

Dustin nodded. "That sounds fair. And, I apologize for being so curt regarding this subject. It was a long time ago but it still feels like yesterday that it all happened."

"I understand." Gem rose from the sofa. "I'll leave you two now, I suspect your healing will be easier without me hovering around." She smiled. "Good night, you two."

"Goodnight, Gem," Dustin and Sonata said. They watched as Gem exited the room.

Looking at each other, Dustin and Sonata just held each other. Occasionally, a brief sob would escape from Dustin, but he know that here, in Sonata's arms, he was safe. Truly and unquestionably safe.


	22. Return to Farpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q contacts the Endeavour with an urgent mission: go back in time to 2364 and ensure that the inaugural mission of the Enterprise-D, the Farpoint expedition, goes as planned.

_"Captain's log, stardate 81742.6. The Endeavour has been summoned to the fourth planet of the Deneb system, to check on the current status of the Federation outpost there. A worrying silence that began several weeks ago has Starfleet concerned, given the careful work begun by Captain Jean-Luc Picard to establish the base in the first place."_

"Approaching Deneb IV now, Captain," Sonata announced. On the view screen, there was a red planet that looked completely devoid of any ships in its space. "Farpoint Station, this is the USS Endeavour, NCC-0326, requesting permission to enter space dock. Please respond."

There was a long silence. Sonata tried hailing them again, but the silence continued. Looking worried, the blue-skinned woman turned to face Gem. "What do we do now, Captain?" she asked.

Gem brought her fingertips together in deep thought. "Scan for life signs, Ms. Dazzle. Increase the view screen magnification to 300%." 

The image zoomed in to display a completely barren world as Adagio reported, "No life signs whatsoever, ma'am. The planet is lifeless."

"But how can this be?" Gem asked, puzzled. "The Bandi are a peaceful, vibrant people!"

"That's exactly what I want to talk to you about," said a male voice. Q appeared on the bridge, wearing his human disguise, and clad in a contemporary captain's uniform. His expression was grim. "They're dead, Gem. They were wiped away from the planet surface decades ago, when Captain Picard's mission went horribly wrong."

Gem frowned and crossed her arms. "That didn't happen and you know it, Uncle Discord! We all know it!"

"Of course I know it, Gem, but that's not the point. Someone has changed time, but I don't know who. You have more experience than anyone else in Starfleet when it comes to history being altered, which is why you're the perfect person for this assignment," Q answered.

"And that is?" Gem asked.

"Return to stardate 41153.7, find the time traveler, and see to it that the Farpoint mission goes as it's supposed to," said Q. "I can't go because to have two of me at the same point in space and time would tear causality apart, and that's one kind of chaos I won't stand for. But you? You're more than capable of handling it." He smiled. "Say hi to Jean-Luc for me." Then he snapped his fingers, and a glowing crack in space appeared. The Endeavour flew through it, and the crack snapped shut behind it. When the ship reappeared, Q was gone.

"Ms. Sparkle, what is the current star date?" Gem asked.

Twilight checked her monitors. "41153.7, ma'am. We're in the year 2364."

"Starfleet vessel incoming, Captain," Adagio reported. "NCC-1701-D, USS Enterprise.”

"Hail them," Gem ordered, standing and tugging on the hem of her uniform. "I think they'll be in for quite a surprise."

“Hailing frequency open,” Adagio announced. Sure enough, an [image](http://bit.ly/2tUU82c) of Captain Jean-Luc Picard appeared on the view screen. Gathered around him were members of his crew, though they all appeared much younger than Gem was used to, and some were wearing very different uniforms. Riker, Gem noticed, was absent entirely.

Gem began to speak. “Enterprise, this is Captain Gemini Shadow of the Federation starship Endeavour. Starfleet Command has requested that I join you on your expedition to Farpoint Station. A matter of some urgency has arisen, and they've asked me to investigate.”

“I see,” Picard replied. “Perhaps we should discuss the matter further in my ready room, Captain Shadow. You may beam aboard at your leisure. Enterprise out.” The screen went dark.

“I’ve never seen him so young before,” Raven commented. “He has no idea what's ahead of him.”

“That was us not so long ago, you know,” Gem pointed out. “Sister, you and Miss Dazzle shall accompany me to the Enterprise. Miss Sparkle, you have the bridge until our return.” The three officers quickly left.

* * *

The three Equestrian humans materialized aboard the Enterprise a few minutes later. Picard was there to greet them. "Captain Picard, allow me to introduce my first officer, Commander Raven Shadow, and my head of security, Lieutenant Commander Adagio Dazzle."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Picard replied, smiling and shaking the girls' hands. "Please follow me, I'll escort you to my ready room." And off they went.

"Captain Picard, when we spoke earlier, I noticed you appeared to lack a first officer," Gem said as they walked. "May I ask why?"

"He has not arrived yet," Picard responded. "We'll be picking him up at Deneb Four. His name is William Riker."

"Oh yes, from the _Hood_!" Raven nodded in recognition. "I've heard he's one of the best officers currently serving."

"I can only hope so," Picard said, and showed the three women into his ready room. Once everyone was comfortable, he spoke. "I took the liberty of looking over the list of ships bearing the name _Endeavour_ ," he said. "There has been but one ship of that name, from the year 2293. She was a Constitution-class vessel, and not a Miranda-class as yours is."

"There is an explanation for that, Captain," Adagio began. "We are..." She shared a look with Gem, who nodded and wiggled her fingers in a 'go on,' gesture. "We are not of this time. Specifically, we are from the year 2404. Starfleet... that is, the Starfleet of our time, sent us here to investigate a potential incident of sabotage.”

“However,” Gem added, “While we do not believe our investigations will impact your mission, with your permission, I would like to have Commander Shadow remain on your bridge to keep an eye on things, in case our interloper tries anything.”

Picard nodded. “Very well. It is a most unusual situation, but… I believe you, Captain Shadow.” 

Gem nodded. “Excellent. In that case, Raven, you’ll stay on the bridge while Miss Dazzle and I search the ship.”

“Captain, this ship is enormous,” Adagio pointed out. “How are we going to find what we’re looking for?”

“Simply search for something that looks out of place,” Gem replied. “Thank you, Captain Picard. Do we have your permission to begin the search?”

Picard nodded. “You are dismissed.”

* * *

As Gem and Adagio explore the corridors of the Enterprise, looking for someone who wasn’t wearing a Starfleet uniform, Gem’s badge beeps. “Commander to Captain Shadow,” she said quickly. “Uncle Discord has appeared on the bridge of the Enterprise, he has taken Captain Picard and a few other bridge officers with him to some sort of courtroom. He gave no indication that he knew I was here.”

“I would not expect him to, sister,” Gem replied. “Continue to keep watch, but try not to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Shadow out.” She turned to Adagio. “You know, I did always want to ask him how it was he went from bothering Picard every so often to taking over Equestria and getting encased in stone for a thousand years… maybe one of these days he’ll tell me.”

Down in main engineering, a [man](http://bit.ly/2tVqYjh) who looked to be in his early 30s with dark hair and a prominent chin uses the distraction provided by Q’s arrival to go over to the warp core, where he begins fiddling with some panels. He was dressed in brown monk’s robes.

“Hey!” barked a crewman, running over to the man. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Oh, just creating a warp core breach,” replied the man, smiling maliciously. “Nothing _you_ need to be concerned with.”

“Quite the contrary!” said a new voice. Gem stood in the doorway, with Adagio by her side. Both women had their phasers drawn. “State your name, rank, and intention immediately!” she barked.

The man looked up. “And who are you two supposed to be?”

Gem blinked in surprise. “Doctor? Is that you?”

“It can’t be,” Adagio pointed out. “He’s not dressed like the Doctor was. Besides, he wouldn’t be here causing wanton destruction.”

“Quite right,” replied the man. “I am the Meddling Monk! I use my powers as a member of the Q Continuum to traverse time and space, making a mockery of events, all for a little fun!”

“So you decided to pervert the course of human history, did you?” Gem said coldly, “By going back and erasing the career of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew? The work he, William Riker, Data, Worf, Geordi La Forge, Beverly Crusher, and Deanna Troi will go on to inspire new generations of future Starfleet officers!”

“Spare me your diatribes, human,” the Monk spat. “I happen to believe that Judge Q is correct: you are a grievously savage child race. I am merely ensuring that Picard does not get his chance to prove your species’ worth.”

“You are operating under the assumption that I _am_ human,” Gem replied. “Far from it. I am an alien being like yourself, wearing a human form for the benefit of the majority of Starfleet’s personnel.”

“You claim to be a protector of these humans then?” the Monk asked, raising an eyebrow. “Perhaps Judge Q should put your race on trial then.”

“He will, in due course,” Gem said. “Though not for anything done today. I do not claim to be a protector of humanity, I work alongside them, as a colleague. And while some of the humans I have met are every bit as savage as you claim, the vast majority are not! They are good, decent people, who do not deserve to be treated so abominably as you’re doing! You don't know them as I do! The humans are not pests or plague, they are creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does. But they learn! And they strive for greater, and they achieve it! You want a judgement? Put their achievements against their failings throughout history, I will back humanity against the Q Continuum every time!”

“Then you too shall be destroyed,” the Monk hissed, and turned back to his panel.

“That’s enough!” Gem exclaimed. “Miss Dazzle, let us subdue him!” The two Equestrians linked hands, rose into the air, and glowed as pony ears and tails appeared. Then they used their respective magics to freeze the Monk in stone. Then, Gem grabbed the Monk and tapped her badge twice: “Endeavour, one prisoner to beam up. Place him in the brig, and use the extra-strength magical dampener, we can't let him get away.” The Monk disappeared in a shower of sparkles.

Gem turned to the crewman, who had been watching all this with an amazed expression on his face. “I assume you know how to undo the Monk’s attempted sabotage?” she asked.

The crewman nodded. “Yes ma’am! I’ll get right on it!” He rushed over to the panel and got to work.

* * *

"Captain's Log, Stardate 41174.2. The agreement for the rebuilding of Farpoint Station has been completed per my instructions."

“So, who was your interloper, Captain Shadow?” Picard asked, as the two captains shared tea in the former’s ready room.

“Another Q, if you can believe it,” Gem replied. “He seemed to think that destroying your ship by instigating a warp core breach was a better idea than allowing you the chance to prove that humanity was more than a ‘vicious, savage, child race.’ We’re holding him in our brig.”

“Your brig is strong enough to contain such a powerful entity?” Picard said in amazement.

Gem chuckled. “My ship has quite a few tricks up its sleeve, Captain Picard. You’ll  learn of them in due time.” She rose. “Well, I won't keep you. It's been an honour and privilege to work with you, Captain.”

Picard smiled. “An honour, you say? But it is only the beginning of my mission. I don't believe I’ve done anything worthy of honour just yet.”

Gem smiled. “You will, Captain. You will.”

Picard’s badge beeped. “Captain to the bridge,” said Data.

“On my way,” Picard replied, and he and Gem strode onto the bridge together. “All stations?” he asked, sitting down in his chair.

“Ready for departure, sir,” reported Data.

“Some problem, Riker?” Picard wondered, turning to his new first officer.

Riker shrugged. “Just hoping this isn't the usual way our missions will go, sir.”

Picard chuckled. “Oh no, Number One. I'm sure most will be much more interesting.” He looked over at Gem, who was standing near the turbo lift doors. “Shall I accompany you to the transporter room, Captain?”

Gem shook her head and smiled. “No need. I’ll see myself out. However, there is one small matter.” She looked over at Riker. “Commander Riker, might I suggest that you grow a beard at some point in the future? People will take you much more seriously if you do. Besides, it makes you look rather handsome.” She waved. “Safe travels, Captain. See you in the future.” Then she stepped through the turbo lift doors and disappeared.

Picard leaned back in his chair and smiled, gazing into the limitless future. “Let's see what's out there. Engage.” And the Enterprise warped off into space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far, then you already know how much of a debt New Endeavours owes to TNG. In-universe, Orion met and briefly served aboard the Enterprise-D, of course, and counted Picard as one of his closest friends for years, and Gem likes to think of Picard as a secondary father figure in light of Orion's death. Both of them share a fondness for earl grey tea, and Gem's command style is not much different from Picard's, relying on the advice of her crewmates to make decisions.
> 
> Out of universe, there would be no New Endeavours without TNG. A lot of our stories (particularly in volumes 1 and 2) are reworked versions of TNG episodes. "Blood and Fire" and "The Forgotten Son" were originally developed for TNG but unmade, while "The Moment" and "God Save the Queen" are very heavily based on "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "The Best of Both Worlds."
> 
> So, in writing this story, I decided to do the opposite of "Errand of Mercy," where we had the crew interact with the episode plot directly. This time, Gem, Raven, and Adagio concern themselves with looking for their interloper, leaving the events of the episode itself for others to deal with. It's a simple tale, but it does what it sets out to do: celebrate 30 years of TNG, just as "Trials and Tribble-ations" did for TOS back in the 90s.
> 
> Incidentally: the Meddling Monk is a very obscure Doctor Who villain, made a Q.


	23. Dustin's Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dustin is made the target of a smear campaign, and the crew begin to ponder how deeply Equestrian sentiment goes.

Something was going on, he was sure of it. He didn’t quite know exactly what that something was, but he conjectured it wasn’t a good thing. He saw the looks from the other crew members, even from his own staff, and in each of them he saw what he felt was his impending doom.

It was because of this that Dustin kept himself locked away in his quarters, coming out only in cases of dire emergency, or to get his daily dose of abuse from Starfleet Medical. When he wasn’t fulfilling his official duties, he stayed in bed, covers drawn up over his head, lights dimmed or completely off. Some of the time he slept, the rest of it was spent in contemplation of what life on another starship would be like, assuming he wasn’t drummed out of Starfleet altogether.

He did his best to keep up appearances for Sonata, his love, his reason for even staying here in the first place. They still went out together, joining the other Equestrians in the holodeck for their weekly jam sessions. Occasionally, Sonata would spend the night, but those nights were becoming few and far between, mostly because Dustin didn’t have the desire for human contact. Sonata said she understood, but Dustin had his doubts about that as well.

* * *

“Gemini’s personal log, stardate 82347.6: I am quite concerned regarding the behavior of my chief medical officer, Dr. Dustin Hoofer. Reports from his staff indicate that he spends inordinate amounts of time in his quarters, coming out only when he has official duties to fulfill.” Her log was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door of her quarters. “Who is it?” she called out.

“Gem? It’s Sonata,” said the voice. “Can we talk? It’s about Dustin.”

“Come in,” Gem replied, and the door slid open to allow Sonata entrance.

Sonata’s face was blotchy, and her eyes were red, as if she had been crying recently. Her makeup had smeared, sending little streaks across her cheeks. She entered the room and sat down across from Gem, looking forlorn. “He barely talks to me anymore,” she says sadly. “We don’t even spend the night together like we used to… it’s like there’s a wall between us. You don’t think it’s me, do you?” She looked into her best friend’s eyes.

Gem reached over and entwined her fingers with Sonata’s, speaking not as her captain, but as her friend of 25 years. “Sonata, if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re one of the nicest, kindest girls in the entire quadrant. Dustin knows that too. He wouldn't have put that ring on your finger if he doubted you even for an instant.” She shakes her head. “No, I fear the problem may be well beyond your relationship… as I’m sure you know, Starfleet has proven to be remarkably intolerant of we Equestrians in the last couple years… while there are plenty of officers who can vouch for us, the pockets of resistance led by Brown and Nechayev are growing in strength even as we speak. They want us out, even if they have to come after us one at a time.”

“Do you think Dustin knows something we don’t?” Sonata asked.

Gem could only shrug. “I haven’t the faintest idea. But I do know how to find out…” She leaned forward into Sonata’s ear and began to whisper.

* * *

It was starting out as one of those mornings. Dustin had finished his reports and submitted them, and surprisingly, the head honchos at Starfleet Medical didn’t subject him to a half-hour long harangue this time. Returning to his quarters earlier than anticipated, he removed his uniform and slipped between the covers of his bed, placing a pillow over his eyes. He was just about to fall back to sleep when the intercom beeped.

“Sickbay to Doctor Hoofer,” came the voice over the intercom.

Dustin winced, and reached out to grab his commbadge. Giving it a tap, he replied, “Hoofer here, what’s wrong?”

“Doctor, I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s a patient here that needs treatment...”

“Then treat the patient and leave your report for me in the morning,” Dustin interrupted. “You don’t need my permission.”

“No, Doctor, this patient is refusing treatment from anyone but you.”

Dustin groaned. “Very well...is the patient in any major distress?”

“No sir, the patient is quite stable.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Hoofer out.” Climbing out of bed, Dustin quickly donned his duty uniform and headed to Sickbay.

Striding into Sickbay, Dustin announced, “Okay, lead me to the patient that cannot survive unless they see my smiling ...oh no ...” His voice trailed off as he looked into Treatment Bay One. Seated on the biobed was Captain Shadow. Standing next to her was Sonata, flanked by a doctor and a couple of nurses.

“Hello, Doctor,” Gem said, managing a small smile.

“... there’s no medical emergency, is there?” Dustin queried.

“Yes, there is, actually,” Gem replied. She held out her pinkie finger. “I seemed to have burned it when I was fetching my tea this morning.”

Dustin sighed and walked over to the biobed. He took Gem’s hand and studied the injury. He picked up an instrument and held it over the burned area. Pressing a button on the device, it hummed for a few seconds before it shut itself off. “There, good as new,” Dustin said, setting the tool down. “Now, I’m guessing that the rest of this is either an intervention or a decommissioning. For the former, I can assure you I am not taking any kind of controlled substances.”

“That’s not why we’re here,” Sonata said, hugging him. “We’re all worried about you. You’ve been like this for three months now. Won’t you tell us what’s going on?”

Any form of short replies died in Dustin’s throat when he saw the sadness in Sonata’s eyes. He sagged his shoulders and dropped his head. “Let’s go talk in my office,” he said, helping Gem off the biobed. Wrapping an arm around Sonata, who was holding on for dear life, he led the group to his office.

* * *

Dustin sat behind his desk, Sonata sitting by his side, rubbing his shoulders. “Captain, as you know, Doctor Hudson here, along with Nurses Hathaway and Houlihan, are the three I trust to keep Sickbay running in my absence. Which is why I’m glad they decided to aid you in your little scheme as it now means I have all of my top suspects in one place.” His expression was serious, but also stoic.

Sonata looked shocked. “Suspects? Dustin, what—”

Dustin raised a hand in a ‘wait a moment’ gesture. “Now that you’re all here, I only have to ask this of you once, and there’s no chance of any of you being warned in advance to try to rehearse your answer.” He sighed heavily. “Are any of you, in any way, dissatisfied with my performance as Chief Medical Officer on board this ship?”

The four looked shocked at hearing this. “N -not at all, Doctor, quite the opposite in fact…we think you’re one of the best things to ever come out of Starfleet Medical,” Houlihan answered. “And I’ve worked with quite a few numpty-heads in my career. Being here is like a breath of fresh air.”

“I’ve learned more in my short time here than I ever did at any of my last postings,” Hathaway added.

“And, you’ve been a great help in assisting me with my thesis,” Hudson said with a nod. “Doctor, if anything, I would think that your work be commended, not condemned.”

“Dustin, what’s this all about?” Gem asked, concerned. “Why are you hiding yourself away, and why are you even asking this question?”

Dustin rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his slightly unkempt hair. “About three months ago, Starfleet Medical started receiving reports about me and my activities. Reports that are saying I’m being derelict in my basic duties, neglecting the basic needs of the patients I see, and generally acting in a manner that can only cause harm or injury to those I treat. The reports aren’t signed, but I was informed that they were coming from a source on board this ship.”

“ … but, why would you suspect any of us in this?” Gem asked, now clearly confused. Sonata just sat in shock, her hands clutching one of Dustin’s.

“I still have some friendly sources back at Medical. I asked one of them to look into these, and many of the reports originated, or seemed to originate, from yours or Doctor Hudson’s terminal. There are others with different terminal identifications, mostly from a nurse’s station here in Sickbay but using Nurse Hathaway or Nurse Houlihan as the designated sender.” He sighed. “Several days ago, I was told, quite forcefully, that if these reports continued, I would be removed from this ship and assigned to a research laboratory on the far side of the Alpha Quadrant, spending my days studying different strains of alien diseases and never being involved in patient care again.”

Gem sighed, and broke the heavy silence that followed Dustin’s announcement. “I wish you had come to me sooner with this, but with your suspicions I can understand why you didn’t.”

“Today has me even more concerned, because I didn’t get my usual ass-chewing from the head honchos. That alone is telling me the end is near.” Dustin dropped his head on his desk, and Sonata rubbed the back of his neck gently.

“Then we don’t have any time to waste. Dustin, Sonata, be in the briefing room in fifteen minutes so we can tell the others what’s going on. You three,” Gem said to the doctor and nurses, “continue as normal and don’t let on that you know what’s happening. Should you hear anything, report to me at once.” She stood, as did Dustin and Sonata. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Dustin, and rest assured, I won’t let them transfer you without a fight.”

Dustin smiled, for the first time in quite a while. “Thanks, Gem. See you in the briefing room.”

Gem and the others, except Sonata, left Dustin’s office. Sonata grabbed Dustin and hugged him tight. “You’re not leaving me. Whatever happens, wherever you go, I’m going with you.”

Dustin said nothing, instead holding Sonata tight and letting a tear slip from his eyes.

* * *

The reactions to Dustin’s story ranged from mild shock to outright anger. Adagio and Raven looked about ready to rip off a few heads, while Twilight and Sunset tried to reason why someone would go through such great lengths to remove Dustin from the ship. Aria felt more sympathetic, finally knowing the reason behind his aloofness as of late and seeing how he and Sonata had seemingly reconciled.

“So, we’re looking for someone with an extensive knowledge of our computer systems, and who can effectively spoof the unique identifier on the captain’s and the medical terminals. Dagi, can you look for any attempts to send communications from remote terminals, say in very rarely used areas of the ship?”

Adagio nods. “I’ll get started on that right away, and pass word down to my relief. They may also be working in the off-hours when such things might not be noticed.”

“I still don’t get why they’re targeting Dustin specifically…I mean, you would expect the captain and other command staff to be the targets of smear campaigns. Targeting someone low in the chain of command like Dustin doesn’t seem logical,” Aria said.

“No, it makes perfect sense,” Dustin said with a sigh. “I hold just enough rank to put me in line to command this vessel, and I work with other peoples’ lives on a daily basis. So, show that I’m unstable, unfit to do my job, and give them enough cause to remove me, and it makes it easier for them to start having doubts about the rest of the command crew… seeing as we’re all the same race and species.”

“And while we can’t prove this is an action of the anti-Equestrian movement,” Gem continued, “it does have all of their hallmarks, so I would advise each of you to be extra cautious with whom you interact. You could unwittingly be talking to our mole.”

The intercom chirped. “Bridge to briefing room, we’re receiving a transmission for Doctor Hoofer from Starfleet Medical, priority channel.”

“Let me guess,” Dustin said quietly, “more fan mail.”

“If you don’t mind us listening in, this might be our chance to pinpoint whomever is doing this,” Gem said in a low voice.

Dustin nodded and faced the terminal toward him, angled so none of the other could be seen. “Patch it through to this terminal,” Dustin said to the communications officer on the screen. Her image disappeared, and was replaced with a dour looking admiral in a rumpled lab coat over his Starfleet uniform. “Doctor Hoofer here, how may I help you, sir?” Dustin said conversationally.

The admiral rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Doctor Hoofer. We thought, that after a period of silence about your actions, you had finally turned yourself around. The communication we received not twenty minutes ago says otherwise. Care to explain… again?”

Gem looked over to Adagio, who was busy at an LCARS console. Adagio saw an entry that raised her eyebrow. She whispered her findings to Gem, who nodded with a grim look on her face.

Dustin sighed. “As usual, I plead innocent of all charges. And was this another anonymous complaint?”

“Not this time, Hoofer. This one comes directly from the captain herself, signed and sealed.”

This news made Gem sit on the edge of her seat, eyes wide and flashing with anger. Dustin made a motion unseen by the admiral, and Gem calmed down a little bit, but was still visibly peeved.

“You don’t say, sir…sent by and signed by Captain Shadow not twenty minutes ago? That is very serious, I do admit, almost worthy of instant removal from duty, possibly even capable of getting me…oh, I don’t know… drummed out of Starfleet entirely. Have you spoken personally to Captain Shadow about this yet, sir?” Dustin asked, fighting to hide the smug smirk that was about to cross his face.

“No, we wanted to get your side of things before we double-checked the facts with your captain. Is there anything you would like to say before we contact her?”

“Other than a complete denial of whatever it is I’m being accused of, all I can say is save your call. Captain Shadow, whom I’ve been with for the past thirty-five minutes, in the presence of witnesses, will speak to you now. Captain?” He let the grin slip out as Gem stormed over to the terminal.

The admiral looked shocked. “Wh-what sort of trickery is this?” he demanded.

Gem glares at the admiral, her expression stormy. “Sir, with all due respect, it is entirely impossible for me to have sent that report, because I’ve spent most of the last half hour in a briefing with my senior staff,” she says, in clipped tones. “Whoever sent that report is lying to you. Dustin’s staff have been unanimous in their support of him and the way he runs his sickbay, and I believe you’ll find the same is true for our other personnel, myself included.”

She leans in. “On stardate 80584.5, I fell victim to a bite from a Regulan bloodworm. Had he not used his magical powers to save my life, I would have died, and this entire ship would have ended up like the USS Magellan. On stardate 81770.0, my counterpart from another dimension tried to kill me. It was Dustin’s quick thinking and medical ability that I sit before you today, and that you are not subjects of whatever warped hellscape my other self might have had in store.” She tugs at the hem of her uniform. “Should you and your fellow admirals decide to drum the best doctor since Leonard McCoy out of Starfleet, you will not only lose him, but the rest of the Equestrian officers as well. I do hope I’ve made myself clear.” She settles back in her chair.

Dustin returned to the monitor and, with a completely neutral expression, asked, “Was there anything else you needed me for, sir?”

The admiral looked flabbergasted, and angrily whispered something to another individual offscreen. “That will be all for now, Doctor. We will be in contact soon.” The screen returned to the usual UFP logo.

Gem turned to Adagio. “You said you found the source of the transmissions?”

“Yes, ma’am, we saw a message transmitted from a terminal deep in the secondary hull, a usually untouched workstation in one of the lower maintenance sections. I dispatched a security team and caught the individual who was sending the message as he was leaving. He’s being detained as we speak,” Adagio reported.

Gem nodded. “Excellent work. Dagi, you’re with me and Dustin.” She looked at Dustin. “Let’s get those answers we’ve been looking for.”

Dustin rose and followed Gem and Adagio. “Some answers would be nice…”

* * *

He wore the rank of a junior grade lieutenant, and sat across a table from Gem and Dustin. Adagio and two other security officers stood watch over the three in the event of any trouble. He looked at Gem and sneered. “I’m surprised you haven’t put me in heavy restraints or something,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt.

“If anyone in this room needs to be restrained, it would most likely be me,” Dustin replied, his voice measured and surprisingly calm, “given my intricate knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, and knowing so many ways to make a human being feel pain, pain so great they’d beg me for the sweet release of death.” He fixed a stare on the lieutenant and smiled, a very tight and thin smile.

Adagio looked nervous at hearing this, but was assured from a nod from Gem. The lieutenant, however, looked visible shaken, and sweat appeared on his brow.

“Let’s start with the basics, such as your name and your duty station,” Gem said, trying to steer the conversation away from Dustin’s not-so-idle threat.

The lieutenant sighed. “I am Lieutenant James Randolph, and until recently, I was assigned to maintenance at Starfleet Headquarters. I came aboard recently at your last resupply stop, with the intention of being assigned to your engineering department. I had a mission to study how you were using your magic on board this ship when I was tasked with something else.”

“ … and that would be … ?” Gem asked, motioning for Randolph to continue.

“Discrediting the lot of you and getting Equestria kicked out of Starfleet entirely,” he replied. “I was told to start with Doctor Hoofer and work my way up the chain.”

“So, I’m guessing you have an intricate knowledge of the computer systems on board this ship,” Gem said.

“It was what I was responsible for maintaining back at HQ. The systems are universal after all.”

Gem sighed heavily. “Dare I ask who gave you these orders?” she asked, barely restraining her anger.

Randolph looked down at the table. “I was recruited by Sector 31 for this mission, and I suspect my usefulness to them will be at an end once they hear of my discovery and capture.”

Dustin looked at Gem, then over at Randolph. “Why?”

Randolph looked confused. “How do you mean, sir?”

“Oh, don’t give me that!” Dustin shouted, his anger rising full-force. “All of those Sector 31 spooks have had a hard-on against us for a long time now, and I want to know the reason why! Do you feel the same way about the other races and species in Starfleet? Why target us, specifically, and this ship and crew in particular? Just what the holy hell did we ever do to you?”

“It’s just not… look, I really don’t have that much of a problem with any of you personally, my problem comes from the fact that some scientists took it upon themselves to fuse human and horse DNA and made you all.” Randolph sighed. “It’s just not natural and definitely not normal, especially with the magic you guys throw around all the time. The way most of them see it, if we wanted horse-human hybrids, we should have recreated the centaurs!”

Dustin took all of this in and sat down. “Y’know, I’m no closer to the answer than I was when we started. Captain, do what you must, I have nothing else to add to this.”

Gem looked grim. “Mister Randolph, given your extensive knowledge of the computer system, you are deemed a high security risk and you are being put off this ship immediately. You will be given a runabout with enough supplies to get you to Starbase 707, which is about one day’s travel from this point. And rest assured, if I ever find you anywhere near my ship again, I will not restrain the good doctor here, or myself, in any way. Commander, escort the prisoner to the main shuttle bay and get him on his way.”

Adagio and the officers get Randolph to his feet and exit the interrogation room. Dustin rubs his eyes and looks to the ceiling. “They’re getting trickier, Gem. They almost succeeded in getting rid of us this time.”

“And they probably would have, if Sonata hadn’t voiced her concerns to me about you, Dustin.” She puts a hand on Dustin’s. “You need to give her some special thanks, and promise me you won’t keep this bottled up again.”

“Okay, you have my word,” Dustin said, standing up and stretching. He was surprised by Gem hugging him, and he returned the hug. “I guess this means you’ll be keeping me after all?”

Gem chuckled. “Yes, I think you’re pretty handy to have around.”

The intercom beeped. “Bridge to Captain, incoming communication from Starfleet Medical. The message states, ‘Starfleet Medical has dropped all charges against Doctor Dustin Hoofer due to initial allegations being malicious and unfounded. Doctor Hoofer is fully exonerated and no adverse mentions will be recorded in his personnel file.’ The message terminated at that point,” Twilight’s voice announced.

“That’s good news. Now, they can go back to their usual routine of chewing me out for missing a comma or not crossing a ‘t’,” Dustin quipped.

Gem laughed. “Come on, let’s get back to work. We’ll meet up later tonight in Ten Forward, all of us.”

* * *

“So, you were the test case for Brown’s plans?” Aria asked as the group sat in Ten Forward, discussing the events that had taken place.

“They weren’t sure it was gonna work, even with a computer savant like Randolph doing what he said he could do, so they decided to target little old me,” Dustin affirmed. “Randolph kept his ears open and listened to people discussing either going to Sickbay or having come from there fairly recently, and made attempts to spoof their unique IDs in the computer system. Once he was certain he could do it, he managed to get into the master patient log and see who had visited Sickbay that particular day, and craft his hate mails, spoofing the IDs of the patients.”

“It apparently worked better than they had hoped,” Raven growled.

“Indeed, and I think once I was out of the picture, the next targets would have been you and Gem,” Dustin said, taking a sip of his drink. “I was fortunate to have had an ally that did some snooping around or else I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”

“But, why us?” Sonata asked. “What have we done that’s so horrible that an entire portion of Starfleet is ready to get rid of us by any means they can?”

Dustin hugged Sonata tight. “Seems just existing is good enough for them. It also makes me wonder what else they’re gonna try, and if they might, by sheer luck, actually succeed in getting rid of us altogether. I also wonder just how popular Equestria being part of the Federation really is.”

Silence reigned as the group sat and sipped at their drinks, pondering that last question as the Endeavour glided along in the vastness of space.


	24. The Wrong Geminis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intending to teach her a lesson, Discord swaps Teen Gem with her Starfleet counterpart, and vice versa.

“Captain’s log, stardate 82415.3. We have returned to Earth to assist in recovery efforts from the changeling attack on the Golden Gate Bridge. Current reports estimate that there are over five hundred casualties, with an additional two hundred and fifty injured, and one hundred people missing and presumed dead. Those figures do not include changeling fighters, all of whom drowned in the waters of the bay itself.” Captain Gemini Shadow stood alone in the Endeavour’s observation lounge, watching the planet below. For a girl who had grown up knowing only peace, to watch war break out despite her best efforts to stop it made her heart ache. “What sort of captain am I?” she whispered.

The lounge door opened and in walked Commander Raven Shadow, Gem’s younger sister and second in command. “We brought up another group of injured people, Captain,” she said. “Dustin’s looking after them now.”

Gem nodded. “That's good news… there's precious little of that going on today.” She sighed, turning away from the window. “What news from Equestria?”

“Let’s see… Queen Calyx is absolutely furious, she and Princess Celestia made a joint statement denouncing the attack and promising that Equestria and the reformed changelings will do their utmost to assist the Federation at this difficult time,” Raven replied. 

Gem nodded. “That’s good… anything helps, with the way things are right now.” She heaved a deep sigh, then looked into her sister’s eyes. “Raven… I am about to ask you something. Not as your commanding officer, but as your sister… I need the truth… Am I a good captain?”

“Well, of course you are,” said Raven, as if explaining that two and two made four. “Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Because I let this happen!” Gem half-shouted, gesturing to the planet outside. “Our leadership has been compromised! Celestia knows how many of our superiors may have been replaced… and now we’ve got two very highly placed officers running off to go plan more treachery, all because you and I exist! If we had never been born… could all this have been avoided?” She put her head in her hands. “I’m not cut out to serve in a war, Raven… A war like this needs someone strong and stable, a calm hand at the tiller… I am not what this war needs.”

“You are _exactly_ what this war needs,” Raven shot back. “Brown and Nechayev are a couple of racist old fools, and you know it. And if you think you’re not strong and stable, then do I need to remind you of what this crew have had to go through in the last two years? In our first year _alone_ , you got tortured by the Cardassians and assimilated into the Borg Collective, and don’t you dare try to tell me that was a moment of weakness on your part, because we both know you and Captain Picard are the only officers in all of Starfleet to have gone through that hell and lived. And then, just a few months later, what did you do? You allied _with_ the Borg to defeat a greater menace, all because a man in a bowtie who sounded like Dad told you to.” She met Gem’s eyes. “You’re one of the strongest women I know, and one of the best captains Starfleet has ever had. You’ve been through worse hells than this, Gem. You’ll survive.”

Gem shook her head, looking thoroughly distraught. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t… I just can’t bring myself to believe it.”

“Then if you won’t hear it from me,” Raven replied, “I know just who to call. Gimme half an hour.” She stepped through the doors to the turbo lift and left.

* * *

Gemini Shadow was bored. Though she had been released from Canterlot Mental Hospital a few weeks before, school was now out for the summer, and she had nothing to do. Raven was hiking in the mountains with Corvus, Sunset was spending a month in Equestria, the Dazzlings were busy with their respective jobs as part-time music teacher, fitness instructor, and taco shop employee respectively, and Twilight and Emerald had gone to Vanhoover for a scientific conference put on by Everton Institute, during which Twilight would be presenting her paper on the effects of Equestrian magic on the human body.

As for Gem, she spent her days holed up in her room at Shadowfall, either trying to write little stories on her computer set in the universe of her favorite book series, or catching Star Trek reruns. But no matter how many adventures of Picard and Janeway she watched, she couldn't escape what she knew to be true: she was terribly lonely.

Gem had never been an outgoing girl. Her gender dysphoria kept her from making very many friends outside of her cousin Carrie during her early years, and even when she moved to Canterlot, she never imagined she would make friends. Her plan had been simple: attend CHS, blend in as a cis girl, before moving again after graduation to start her life anew, not as the daughter of a prominent politician, but as her own person. Meeting Raven and Sunset that first day had changed everything, and while she would always feel grateful… 

“I can't help but feel abandoned,” Gem muttered to herself, as the credits rolled on an episode of The Next Generation. It was one of her favourites: Picard, with the help of Q, discovers what would have happened had he spent his life in the background of Starfleet, rather than becoming the captain everyone knew. For reasons she wasn't quite sure of, Gem admired Picard, one way or another.

Her reverie was interrupted by her TV screen flickering with static. Her Netflix queue disappeared in a haze of snow and white noise to be replaced by a blank white void, with none other than Q himself peering through the screen at her, wearing a black and red captain’s uniform. “Hello, Gemini. Looking a bit bored, are we?” he said.

Gem’s mouth fell open. “…who are you?! How are you doing this?”

Q pretended to look affronted. “I’m Q! The man you just watched lecturing Jean-Luc.”

“But you can’t be real,” Gem pointed out. “You’re a television character!”

Q laughed. “Gemini, you amaze me. You have no problem accepting that one of your best friends is a magical talking unicorn from pony-land, where I look like this,” with a snap of his fingers he became Discord, “but you draw the line at television characters come to life.” He snapped his fingers again and became human once more. “I am as real as you are, Gemini. So is Picard. And as you’ve been watching our adventures, we’ve been watching some of yours.”

Gem raised an eyebrow. “And what have you learned?”

Q smiled slightly. “That you need to be taught a lesson, just like… well, yourself.” And before Gem could react, a mysterious force lifted her into the air and pulled her into the television screen.

* * *

Gem awoke to find herself in a very strange [place](http://bit.ly/2tOoD6E). The walls were painted gunmetal grey, with five enormous bay windows overlooking an alien planet. She wasn’t wearing the blue and white silk [pajamas](http://amzn.to/2tIYIAq) that she had on earlier, but instead a red and black tunic like the one Q had been wearing, though cut to fit a girl of 18 than a fully grown woman. The room itself had a workdesk, a bed, a small table for four, several chairs, a strange computer which sat on the desk, and various other objects.

“I’m in space…” Gem whispered, placing her hand on the window nearest her and looking down at the planet below. “But… how did I get here? Is this because of Q?” There was no answer, she seemed to be alone. “Where am I? Could it be the Voyager?” After all, this room looked virtually identical to Janeway’s quarters. Then she got a look at a plaque on the wall, and paused. “USS _Endeavour_ , Starfleet registry NCC-0326… fifth ship to bear the name… commissioned on stardate 48113.3.” She gulped. “Good grief, I’m in a Star Trek episode… except it’s all real…” She then fainted dead away.

* * *

“She hasn’t regained consciousness at all?” Dustin asked Adagio, who was standing alongside the biobed where Gem lay, unmoving and unaware of what was going on around her.  Raven stood at the foot of the bed, looking worried.

Adagio shook her head.  “She’s in the same condition as she was when I had her transported here.  She didn’t answer when she was called to the bridge, so I went to check on her, and I found her on the floor in her quarters.”

Dustin swept a scanner over Gem, and studied the readouts on the panel above the bed.  “Something’s definitely off, but I’m not sure what. It’s not changeling, I can say that for sure, so we can relax about that at least.” He grabbed a PADD from a nearby worktable and tapped through a few screens.

A nurse watching Gem noticed her eyes starting to flutter.  “I think she’s coming to, Doctor.”

Gem started to crack open her eyes, only to slam them shut again against the brightness of the room.  She was dimly aware that the room she had been in wasn’t as brightly lit, so she figured she had been moved.

“Do you have any idea what might have brought this on?” a familiar voice asked. 

 _Was that...was that Adagio?_ Gem wondered.

“Not just yet,” a masculine voice replied, “but now that she’s rejoined the land of the living, maybe she can tell us a few things.”  The voice moved closer to her ear.  “Captain, can you hear me?  Can you open your eyes?”

Gem blinked rapidly and slowly opened her eyes.  She looked around, instantly recognizing the sickbay of a starship, much like the one she had seen on TV.  “Ugh… whuh…” she managed to croak out before snapping completely back to awareness.  There was no denying what she was seeing, but she had no idea how it could be possible.

Standing to her left was Adagio, only she was dressed in a [yellow](http://bit.ly/2tPZWXa) tunic and black pants, a phaser hanging from her right hip.  Ahead of her was Raven, wearing the same colored [uniform](http://bit.ly/2tPDH3F) as Gem, but with three rank pips instead of the four Gem wore. Both of them looked a good decade or so older than the people she knew. To her right was the biggest surprise of all.  He looked like a younger version of her friendly bus driver, wearing a blue tunic and a white lab coat with “Dr. D. Hoofer” embroidered over the left breast pocket in blue thread.

Panicked, Gem sat bolt upright.  “What’s...what’s going on here?  Dagi, Raven, where did you get those uniforms?  I thought you didn’t care much for that show! And Longhaul--” she appraised the doctor carefully— “you look so much younger!”

The three exchanged a glance before turning back to Gem.  “Well, yes,” Dustin answered calmly, “I wold look younger than my father, Longhaul, considering I’m his son and all.”

“Do you think my sister’s having another stress episode?” Raven asked Dustin, causing Gem’s eyes to widen more than they already had.

“Sister?!” Gem exclaimed. “Raven, darling, we’re engaged!  What’s this ‘sister’ nonsense?”

“Dustin, I don’t think this is _our_ Gem,” Adagio pointed out. “I think she might be from another reality.”

Dustin frowned and studied the readouts on the monitor above the biobed, and consulted a PADD he held in his hands. “Given the luck we’ve had in that department, I think you’re probably right. I didn’t see a thaumaturgic gland when I was performing my bioscan, which means she isn’t an Equestrian human, like we are.”

“But she has to be!” Raven cried. “She looks just like our Gem!”

Dustin sighed. “Commander, please remain calm.” He turned to Gem. “Let’s do some simple questions and answers, okay?” he asked Gem. Gem nodded. “Okay, first question: what is your name?”

“Gemini Shadow.”

Dustin nodded.  “Where are you from?”

“Trottingham originally, but I now live in Canterlot.”

Dustin raised an eyebrow.  “And how old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

Adagio and Raven appeared stunned, while Dustin let out a slow breath. Dustin placed a hand on Gem’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.  “Gem, why don’t you come with us to my office?  We have a lot to discuss, privately.”

Gem nodded and slid off the bed, following along with the others.

* * *

Gem awoke to find herself in a very strange place. Rather than the corridors of the ship she knew so well, she instead found herself in a fairly good-sized bedroom, with blue walls, a white dresser and wardrobe, and French doors leading to a balcony, where the skyline of a city was visible, along with plenty of green grass and trees. There was also a desk, upon which sat a laptop computer, a 7-inch tablet, and a 4-inch smartphone along with a pencil cup. Decorating the room were pictures of eight or so teenage girls, all of whom looked exactly like her bridge crew. Of particular prominence was a picture of herself and Raven, kissing.

Gem’s mouth fell open. “But… but we’re sisters! Why am I kissing her?! That’s utterly _barbaric_!” Then she noticed what she was wearing: a pair of dark blue pajamas with white lace trim, which exposed _far_ more of her skin than she was entirely comfortable with. “What… how… where is my _uniform_?!”

There came a knock at the door, and a voice called, “Gem! You’re awake! I brought lunch!”

“Come in!” Gem called back, on instinct. She settled herself at the desk, making herself comfortable in the black office [chair](http://bit.ly/2vc5q24) which sat in front of it. 

The door opened and Steno stepped into the room, carrying a silver tray. On the tray was a plate, containing an elaborately prepared grilled cheese sandwich, consisting of Provel, cheddar, and swiss cheeses with lettuce and tomato, a small dish of macaroni and cheese, and a glass of iced earl grey.

Gem took a look at the lunch first, then at the young man holding it. He looked to be 19 or 20, as old as she had been when she started at the Academy, and had very dark skin with bright blue eyes. Gem frowned, confused. “Steno? …Is that you?”

“Were you expecting someone else?” Steno asked, smiling teasingly. He placed the tray in front of Gem. “Just the way you like it!” Then he stopped, and the smile became a confused frown. “Hey, wait… am I seeing things, or do you look… well, uh, older? Late 20s, early 30s maybe?”

“For your information, I am 26 years old,” said Gem, in an affronted voice. “And I can’t see how you can be Steno Pad! He’s a changeling, after all! Not… whatever you are.”

“I’m a human,” said Steno flatly. “Always have been. And so are you.”

Gem shook her head. “No, it can’t be true! I’m an Equestrian pony, I only _look_ human!”

“Okay, this is starting to get weird,” said Steno. “You eat, we can talk about this after.”

Suddenly aware of how hungry she was, Gem began eating.

* * *

“So, let me get this straight,” said Gem, gazing around at three senior officers from where she sat in Dustin’s office. “I’m supposed to be the captain of this ship, and you three are some of my senior officers?” 

Raven nodded. “I’m your First Officer, Adagio is your head of security and tactical, and Dustin is your chief medical officer.”

“And apparently, you’re my sister, not my fiancé,” Gem finished, looking back at Raven. “Well, at least I’m still human, and not a robot or a cat or a anthropomorphic pony or something.”

“But you’re not from Earth,” Adagio said. “Earth humans don’t have grey as a skin color.”

“They do where I’m from,” said Gem. “My world is parallel to Equestria, so our skin colors are the same as the fur colors of ponies.”

Raven gasped. “Oh yeah! I’ve heard of your world! Aunt Emerald took us there once, that’s where she came from! You get there through a mirror, right?”

“Held in Princess Twilight’s castle, yes,” Gem replied. 

“Now that we’ve established that,” Dustin interrupted, “I have another question for you: do you know how or why you got here?”

Gem shrugged. “Not really, sir. One moment I was sitting on my living room sofa watching TV, and talking to someone called Q… he’s supposed to be fictional, but he said he was real, and said I needed to be taught a lesson… the next thing I knew, I woke up here, wearing this.” She gestured to her uniform.

“Well, knowing Uncle Discord, we’ll have to figure out what the lesson is for ourselves,” said Adagio. “I wish he could’ve done this earlier though… with a war going on, I’m not sure having someone so inexperienced at captaining a ship is a good idea.”

“But people will be expecting her to lead them,” Raven pointed out. “The rest of the crew, fellow Equestrians excluded, won’t know that she isn’t really the captain. She’ll have to act like she knows what she’s doing. Which is where we come in.”

“What are you going to do?” Gem asked Raven and Adagio.

Raven smiled. “Teach you how to be a captain, of course. But for that, we’ll need the others.” She gestured to the commbadge pinned to Gem’s uniform. “Tap that twice, then say ‘Captain to the bridge. Senior staff please report to my ready room at once.’”

Gem nodded and did so, before standing up. “Which way is the ready room?” she asked.

Adagio smiled. “A few decks above us. Come on, we’ll take you.” And off they went to the turbolift, leaving Dustin to his patients.

* * *

“So you’re actually a clone of my Gem’s pony counterpart, and you work as the captain of a starship?” Steno raised an eyebrow. “Forgive me, but you sound like a character from a Star Trek fanfic.”

Gem blinked. “Forgive me, but what is this 'Star Trek' you speak of?” She made finger quotes.

“It’s a sci-fi franchise made from five or six TV shows, and a dozen or so movies,” Steno explained. “My Gem’s two favorites are Next Generation and Voyager.” He pointed to [two](http://bit.ly/2tOmRSR) [posters](http://www.apple.com) on a nearby wall, both of which were on either side of a third poster for a different [show](http://bit.ly/2tOoNe6).

Gem gasped, pointing at the Next Generation poster. “Captain Picard, and the crew of his Enterprise! I know them… my late parents served under them!” She pointed to La Forge, “Father worked in Engineering, while my mother worked in stellar cartography!” 

“How do you know Picard?” Steno asked, deciding that the woman sitting in front of him must be telling the truth.

“He’s my mentor,” Gem replied. “He and Commander Riker taught me a lot during my years at the Academy, it’s because of them that I am a captain at all." 

"How'd you even get here, anyway?" Steno asked. 

Gem shrugged. "I don't know... one moment I was in the observation lounge of the _Endeavour,_ then... I suppose I must have fallen asleep, because when I awoke, I was in... my... room..." She face-palmed. "But of course, why didn't I notice? We're in Shadowfall, aren't we? My room looks just like this! Well, sort of." She pointed to the computer, tablet, and phone. "What are these?"

"Those're her gadgets," Steno replied. "But I guess she wouldn't mind you using them. I mean, you _are_ her after all." He got up. "Want me to leave you be? There's some clothes in her wardrobe you can wear if you want to change."

"I shall," Gem said, getting up. "And thank you, Steno. Truly, you are as helpful as the changeling I am familiar with." She smiled.

Steno blushed. "Just doing my job, ma'am." He got up and left.

Gem browsed the clothes selection before eventually changing into a simple pair of jeans and a black top with a low neckline, which on her, exposed quite a bit of her cleavage. Then she sat back down and picked up Gem's smartphone. "Curious... it looks like a miniature version of our PADDs... and so much thinner, too!" She clicked a button on the side, and the screen turned on, giving the time, date, and a picture of herself and Raven. 

Gem placed her thumb on the home button, and at once the phone unlocked, and bunches of app icons flew into view. Gem looked amazed. "Astonishing! Primitive, but astonishing!" She then turned her attention to the laptop. It wanted a password. She was no stranger to keyboards, (her father had owned a typewriter) so she put in the first word that came to mind: Raven. It seemed to work, because the little picture of Gem went away to be replaced with a desktop. That done, she began to explore.

Gem sat at that desk for several hours, exploring every nook and cranny of her other self's computer, learning all she could. She discovered that the other Gem (this Gem had given her the nickname Aquarius) had been born male, and transitioned to female, with a full record of her changes. Aquarius attended Canterlot High School, where she had top grades in almost every subject, and was well respected by her teachers and friends. 

Once she learned all she could about herself, Gem began learning more about this world, and why it seemed far more advanced than the Earth she had learned about in her studies at the Academy. By nightfall, she closed the laptop and tucked herself into bed, her mind brimming with everything she'd learned. As she fell asleep, she thought dimly of her crew, and that she should get back to them... but only when she knew why Uncle Discord had sent her here.

* * *

Gem settled in to the center seat on the bridge, looking rather uncomfortable. "I've never done anything like this before... what if it all goes wrong, and the ship explodes?"

Raven placed a calming hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Relax. You did really great in the simulations we ran in the holodeck, it's like you've done all this before!"

Gem blushed. "No, I just channeled what I saw on TV."

Suddenly, Adagio announced from her station, "Captain, I'm picking something up on our sensors. Four changeling fighters are headed our way."

Gem gulped. "Er... put them on screen, please!" she ordered, looking worried. Her heart started to race. Sure enough, four ships roughly shaped like flying changelings zoomed into view, and began to glow with green light as they charged their weapons.

"Well, Captain?" Raven prompted. "What are your orders?"

Gem gulped again, before saying slowly, "Red alert, shields up! Fire... fire photon torpedoes!" On cue, several photon torpedoes rocketed away from the ship, and hit the enemy vessels. Nothing seemed to happen. "Why didn't they work?" Gem asked, confused. "They're supposed to work!"

"The changelings have erected their own shields," Adagio reported. "It'll take more than that for us to knock them out." Two of the fighters zoomed away. Adagio checked her display again. "Two of the fighters have flown to the back of the ship," she said. "They're charging their weapons..." Then there was an enormous boom as the ship rocketed from side to side, sending everyone to the floor.

Gem's commbadge crackled. "Captain, this is Engineering!" came Emerald's voice. "The changelings have blown a huge hole in our warp core, if we don't separate the ship now, we're not going to be alive much longer!"

"Initiate saucer separation," Gem ordered. "Evacuate all hands to the saucer section immediately!"

"There's no time," Adagio barked. "Captain, all four ships are charging weapons! They're-" What the changelings were about to do, Gem never found out. Four beams of bright green light hit strategic points, and in seconds, the entire vessel was in flames. The ship exploded, sending all 36 crewmembers into the vacuum of space.

"Computer, end simulation," said Raven, as the yellow-on-black grid of the holodeck faded back into view. Unharmed, she gave Gem a hug. "Awesome work, little sister," she said happily. "I knew you'd pull it off!"

"But I failed!" Gem protested. "We all got sent into space and died of vacuum exposure! I felt myself lose consciousness!”

Adagio nodded, "Yes, but before all that, you ordered us to use our weapons and were about to engage saucer separation when the warp core was breached. That's exactly what you're supposed to do in that kind of situation."

"So, really, you passed!" Raven smiled reassuringly. "Besides! Us dying was part of the simulation. Right, Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle, her hair in a bun and clad in her blue duty [uniform](http://bit.ly/2tPZLey), nodded. "That's right. You did really well today, Gem.” She smiled. “Act like that in a real situation and we’ll all live to fight another day.”

“Speaking of days,” Raven said with a grin, “How about we take you to Ten Forward for a little relaxation?”

“I have a better idea,” Twilight proposed. “Why don’t we go down to the captain’s quarters, that way we don't arouse any suspicion? After all, as far as the rest of the crew is concerned, you’re the same Gem they’ve known since our mission began.”

Gem smiled. “I’d like that,” she said, and followed the three officers out of the holodeck and back to her quarters, where she had woken up.

* * *

“Captain’s personal log, stardate unknown,” Gem said into the cell phone’s speaker. She was using the voice memo app as a replacement for her ship’s computer. “I have spent approximately two days in this strange world. Admittedly, it feels nice to be free of my duties as captain of the Endeavour… I was unaware of how much stress they put on me until now. I will also say it’s nice to be among humans who look like me… though they cannot use magic as I can, to be among a race of humans that resemble the ponies I know and love is a relief. It is nice to know I’m not the only one of my kind in the multiverse.” She tapped the stop recording button, then slipped the phone into her pocket, taking a look at herself in the mirror.

Rather than her usual duty uniform, today Gem wore a blue and white t-shirt that read “NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED” in large letters, with jeans. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore black boots on her feet. She was also completely alone, since Steno had gone out to do some grocery shopping.

Her stomach grumbled, and she blushed. “I suppose I should eat something,” she muttered. “Now to find a replicator…” She left her room and walked down the steps to the kitchen, and came face to face with a microwave. “Ah! Could this be a replicator?” She assumed so. “Let’s see… blueberry scone!” she announced.

Nothing happened.

Confused, Gem faced the microwave again and said in a louder voice, “Blueberry scone!” Still nothing happened. Annoyed, she sent a spark of magic at the microwave. There was a brief crackling noise, but nothing else happened. Gem face palmed. “Replicator! Why do you remain non-functional?!”

“They’re called microwaves,” Steno said, entering the kitchen with his arms full of groceries. “Do they not have those where you come from?”

Gem shook her head. “No need. Our replicators create any food we wish, without the need for preparation.”

Steno chuckled. “Well, we don’t have those here. Instead, you’ll have to settle for one of my famous omelettes.” He grinned. “Think you can handle it, space-girl?”

“I shall try,” Gem said with a giggle. 

Steno nodded and quickly got to work. In no time at all, Gem had an omelette sitting in front of her on a plate, along with two pieces of toast and some bacon strips. She took a bite and smiled. “Steno, this is delicious!”

“You’re welcome,” Steno said with a smile. “I gotta admit, I like you. You’re different from the girl I've spent the last couple years looking after, but in a good way. You’re more… mature.”

“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t,” Gem admitted. “My younger self does not have the lives of a hundred people resting on her shoulders, or more lately, the weight of an entire quadrant… it is because I exist that the war with the changelings is occurring at all. Therefore, I should be the one to end it, by any means necessary.”

“Is it really that bad out there?” Steno asked.

Gem nodded, “Worse. The Federation itself has already been compromised… no one knows whether our orders are real or given to us by changelings waiting to ensnare us in a trap.”

Steno whistled. “Sheesh… no wonder you’ve been looking so chill the last couple days. Do you know when you’ll be going back?”

Gem shook her head. “My uncle Discord will be the judge of that… I could be here for a week, a month, perhaps a year or two. His powers are such that I could return to my ship and be gone, from my crew’s perspective, for only a few hours, while a year has passed for me.”

“In that case, here’s what I suggest,” Steno said, finishing his breakfast. “Spend the day out of the house. Spruce yourself up, take some money, (Gem knew what money was, since she grew up with bits) and spend the day being… well, a human. Not a captain, just Gemini Shadow.” He placed his hand on top of Gem’s. “You may have led a very different life, but you’re still Gem. And that girl needs some time to herself, no matter what universe she’s from.”

Gem smiled back, and kissed Steno’s cheek. “I’ll do just that,” she said, floating the dishes to the sink with her telekinesis. “I’ll be back soon, Steno. See you.” Then she rose, took ‘her’ purse, (though she and her teenage counterpart were technically the same person, it still felt wrong for her to take some of Aquarius’ things) and went out.

* * *

Gem waved kindly to the people she passed as she walked the streets of Canterlot, noting many of the town’s citizens (or at least the ones of her younger self’s age) recognized her. As she passed Canterlot High, she took note of the statue, which her younger self had written about at length in her diary entries (Gem felt a little wrong reading those, even though they were technically the same person). She considered exploring the school’s inside with her magic, but noticed the door was locked, and wisely decided not to attract the attention of this world’s police. Instead, she contented herself with exploring the perimeter of the building before resuming her self-guided tour of the city.

As lunchtime came, she found herself outside a fast food place. The inside smelled strongly of deep fried potatoes, burgers, and other such items. Stepping inside, she walked up to the counter and consulted the menu board. “Good afternoon,” she said to the cashier. “May I have… a double quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries, and a medium drink please?”

The cashier nodded glumly. “That’ll be $8.46,” he said. Gem handed him a ten dollar bill, and when her food came, went to go looking for a place to sit. Tucked away in a far corner was a man with familiar grey skin, brown eyes, and brown (if greying) hair. Gem gasped. “…Dustin? Is that you?” she asked, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” said the man, barely looking up, “you must have me confused with someone...else...” He looked up and his eye widened.  “I thought that voice sounded somewhat familiar.  Gem, is that you?  What’s wrong?  You look … older than usual.  And why are you calling me ‘Dustin’?”

"That's your name, isn't it?" Gem replied, sitting down with her meal. "I would know my ship's doctor anywhere!" But then she stopped. "Except you can't be him. I assume you are acquainted with my teenaged counterpart?"

“Gem, what’s gotten into you?  It’s me, Longhaul.  You know, the guy that’s been driving your school bus since you started here?”  He looks Gem over carefully.  “Did you hit your head or something?  And what’s all this about a ship’s doctor?  Last I knew, we were in Canterlot, not on the Love Boat!”

"Love... Boat?" Gem echoed, confused. "And no, I am perfectly healthy, thank you. I think you might have me confused with someone else." She took out 'her' phone and browsed to a selfie her teen self had taken the previous week, and held it beside her in her telekinesis. "Is this the girl you're thinking of?" They looked more or less the same, but even 4 years of HRT couldn't hide the slightly masculine look of the younger Gem's jawline, or her prominent Adam's apple, both of which the woman sitting in front of Longhaul lacked.

“Now wait a minute,” Longhaul protested.  “You come up to me, start talking about ships and doctors, and call me by a different name, and you say I’m the one that’s mistaken?  How does that even...”  He sees Gem’s phone floating in the air in front of him, with Gem’s picture next to Captain Gem’s face.  “Okay, this is getting bizarre.  Look, lady, whoever you are, what are you doing with Gem’s phone, and just who the heck are you really?”

Gem sighed. "Hold on, there's only one way to explain this." That was when her fingers touched Longhaul's temples, and then she proceeded to do a mind-meld with him, exchanging vast amounts of information in seconds. Longhaul would see glimpses of a ship and a group of adults who looked like 8 girls he knew and loved, plus a man who looked like himself. After that were visions of changelings, ships plunging into the Golden Gate Bridge, and her waking up in her younger self's room. Opening her eyes, she said, "Do you see now?"

Longhaul’s mind reeled as he tried to take in all of the information that Captain Gem was sending him.  It almost reminded him of a science-fiction show he used to watch when he was a little boy.  And now, to see something eerily familiar dancing around in his head, courtesy of a strange woman that bore a passing resemblance to his friend...he stopped, shook his head, and looked at Gem.  “Ma’am, I would like to know just how old you are, and I hope I don’t sound too creepy about this, but I would like to invite you back to my house for more conversation … and because I believe we both could use a good stiff drink right about now.”

"26, and yes, I believe that's a good idea. And not just because this food is appalling." She'd taken one bite of her burger and pushed it away as if it might attack.

* * *

Some time later, Gem had finished explaining who she was and how she had come to be while sitting in Longhaul's living room, looking around with interest at the 'ancient' technology that surrounded her. "I realise my story might sound impossible, but I assure you, it is as true as anything else."

"So, some magical being that can transcend all space and time zapped you here, and took Gem away to where you are now?  Sounds pretty far-fetched, and if you weren't sitting in my living room right now, I'd say it was the work of a writer with a very vivid imagination, and possibly a helper."  He sipped at his drink.  "I suppose the big question is, how are the two of you gonna get back to where you came from?"

"The same way we arrived," said Gem, shrugging. "And perhaps when we have learned something. So far, I've learned that a break does help in relieving stress, but I doubt that was what Uncle Discord was hoping for." She smiled. "My other self has described you as one of the wisest people she knows. Do you have any advice for me?"

Longhaul leaned back and thought for a moment.  "Right now," he finally said, "the best advice I can give you is to make sure that you take care of yourself.  I think that's why this Discord character sent you here — you're too wrapped up in your duties to fully understand that you have needs that have to be tended to as well.  Don't sacrifice your mental well-being just because you have a job to do. I did that once, and I paid a price for it.  Still not fully recovered, truth be told.  Always remember that despite whatever duties you have, how many people you're responsible for, ultimately the mosst important person you can care for is sitting in that chair, wearing those clothes, and sipping that drink."  He nodded.  "Hope that sounded wise enough for ya."

Gem smiled. "I would expect nothing less." She kissed his cheek.

* * *

That afternoon, Gem returned from her visit to Longhaul's to find a familiar person sitting in the living room of Shadowfall: her younger teenaged self, who was still wearing the duty uniform Q had given her. Upon seeing her younger self, she smiled and clapped. "Other Me! You're back!"

"And just in time, too," said Teenage Gem, nodding. "I just got your crew through a battle with some Romulans when Discord came to get me. He asked if I'd had enough excitement for one day, and I said yes." She blushed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'd rather watch your adventures on the screen, instead of being an active participant."

Captain Gem nodded, placing a hand on her other self's shoulder. "The life of a starship captain is not for everyone," she agreed. "Besides which, I believe you have your own adventures to be concerned with." She sat down beside the younger Gem and smiled. "It's not every day one gets to meet another version of themselves... unless they're me, then it happens rather frequently... but I _am_ glad you aren't trying to kill me."

Teen Gem laughed. "Of course I wouldn't! I... would never kill anyone. Not after what happened last time."

Captain Gem frowned gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Teen Gem nodded. "I suppose I ought to... last year, while overtaken by dark magic from Equestria, I killed a girl... her name was Trixie Lulamoon."

Captain Gem looked down. "I see... and do you wish you could have avoided the impulse?"

Teen Gem nodded again. "Every day... I think I always will."

Captain Gem nodded approvingly, and held the teen girl's hand. "That's good, it means your moral compass is functioning correctly."

"How about you?" Teen Gem asked. "Have you ever killed anyone?"

"Not directly," Captain Gem replied. "Have I blown up enemy ships? More times than I can count. But I have never turned my phaser on another living being, and I hope I never will. But..."

"...War changes people, in ways they don't expect?" Teen Gem finished.

Captain Gem nodded. "Exactly." Then she wrapped her arms around the other girl, and hugged her tight. "From what I have seen of your... our... journal entries, and other parts of your life that I have explored, I can tell that you are a young woman of good moral character, with beliefs that she clings to especially when things are at their bleakest. I believe you will go far, my dear."

"Where no one has gone before?" Teen Gem asked, smirking slightly.

Captain Gem laughed. "Indeed."


	25. The Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an alternate timeline, Gem (who remains possessed by dark magic and has just committed genocide on the Mirror Universe Changelings) escapes her prison aboard the Endeavour and murders the crew, then flees to the mirror universe to join the Solar Empire, which has taken over the Terran Empire's holdings. Back in the Prime universe, Dustin works out a plan to rescue his wayward captain, and bring her back to the side of good.

“Ship’s log, stardate 83017.8, acting captain Raven Shadow recording. Adjusting to being the captain hasn’t been easy. As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one true captain of the USS _Endeavour_ , and she’s been in the brig for the last month, shouting about revenge half the time, and begging with her guards to let her go, with the promise that she won’t hurt anyone. I want to believe her, but… I don’t know how much of her is the sister I know, and how much of her is the darkness that’s infected her. I can’t let her out, because we all know that if she escapes, it’s only a matter of time before everyone on the ship is dead. In the meantime, we still have a war to fight. Right now we’re headed to the planet Quinto in the Nimoy system to check up on our reformed Borg friends, and see if they might give us an edge.”

Raven strides onto the bridge and takes the center seat, with Adagio sitting to her right, and K’bleh just behind at Tactical. “ETA to Quinto, Ms. Blaze?”

“Approximately twenty minutes from now, Captain,” Aria replied. Raven was about to answer when suddenly alarms rang out all over the ship, and the computer intoned, “Warning: Escaped prisoner. Warning: Escaped prisoner.”

“What the hell?!” Raven exclaimed. “How could she have escaped?! That brig is locked down within an inch of its life!”

“A question you may ponder to yourself for the rest of your life, sister of mine,” purred a horribly familiar voice. It was Gem, but though the accent was unchanged, there was something about the way she spoke that sounded off, as if she had just let go of her morality. “Not that the rest of your life will be very long, of course.”

Emerald’s voice came through on Raven’s commbadge: “Raven, this is Engineering! The prisoner’s commandeered auxiliary control, she’s piloting the ship from there! It seems she managed to hack into the computer system from her cell, allowing her to do all this!”

“Emerald’s right,” Aria exclaimed. “None of my controls will respond!”

“Nor mine,” growled K’bleh.

“GEMINI AQUARIUS SHADOW, WHAT IN TARTARUS DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Raven shouted at the ceiling.

“Taking my ship back, of course,” Gem answered. “By the way, there will be a diversion. We will not be venturing to Quinto after all.” A gaping hole in the fabric of reality opened, and the _Endeavour_ passed through it. “I hope you liked that, by the way. i got the idea from Gabriel Lorca.”

“Who’s Gabriel Lorca?” asked Sonata in an undertone to Aria.

“Disgraced ex-captain of the USS _Discovery_ , served in the 2250s,” explained Twilight. “He betrayed his crew after marooning them in another universe.”

“And now Gem has done the same to us,” Raven realized. “Ms. Blaze, where the hell are we?”

“Exactly where we were, ma’am,” Aria replied. “But not quite.”

“She’s right,” Twilight agreed. “The quantum signatures I’m detecting here are inconsistent with our own, but they match those of the other _Endeavour_.”

“Which means we’re right back where we started,” Raven sighed. “Great.”

“Unauthorized shuttle exiting shuttle bay one,” said the computer. Then Gem’s face, manic and pure evil, filled the viewscreen. She’d changed into her duty uniform, but the Starfleet badge was missing. She smiled. “Hello and goodbye, you mueling quims,” she said.

“Gem, have you lost your mind?!” Raven shouted. “Please tell me this is the dark magic talking! If you get back here we can fix you, Sunset has a plan!”

“I don’t need fixing,” Gem snarled, the smile fading as she looked upon her older sister with an expression of utter hatred on her face. “I don’t need _anything_ from you. You _betrayed_ me, Raven. You locked me up and imprisoned me on my own ship! But it’s no matter… I don’t need you anymore!” She smiled again. “I’m going somewhere else now, and I’ll be much better off here than I ever was as part of the Federation.” She pressed a few buttons on her console. “Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye forever.” A second before the connection cut, Raven almost swore she could see her sister’s face change, to a regretful expression.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on this however, because soon, a laser shot out from the shuttle’s launcher, aimed right at the warp core. The warp core exploded, killing all of the engineering staff. Soon the rest of the ship followed suit, and in moments, the _Endeavour_ was a derelict wreck, her crew floating motionless in the vacuum of space.

Inside her shuttle, Gem smiled. “That’s more like it… next stop, the Solar Empire.” And the shuttle warped off toward Equus.

* * *

“Now there is a face I did not expect to see quite so soon,” Empress Celestia said, as Gem was led into the throne room. “It is good to see you again, Captain Shadow. Am I to assume that your Federation is trying you for war crimes?”

Gem shook her head. “Not at all, your Eminence. Shortly after I returned to my _Endeavour_ following our last encounter, I was swiftly imprisoned by my Raven, who quickly took command. I spent days in the brig, biding my time and letting the dark magic I’ve been carrying within me take control. When I had enough strength, I escaped, commandeered a shuttle, and blew up my old ship.”

Celestia’s eyes got very wide. “You… blew up your own ship?” she echoed. “Never, in all the years that we Equestrians have been working with the Terrans, have we heard of a captain blowing up their own ship on purpose.”

“I had no choice,” Gem replied. “They betrayed me. As such, they forfeited their right to live.” Thunder rumbled as she spoke.

Celestia nodded, then said, “Well… in any event, welcome to the Solar Empire, Captain Shadow. I do not yet have a ship for you to command, as our _Endeavour_ is currently stationed at Sector Zero, preparing it for equinification.”

“Equinification?” Gem asked.

“Yes… with the Terran Empire in ruins, we Equestrians will be taking its place as the dominant power in this galaxy,” Celestia explained. “I’ve tasked the _Endeavour_ crew with building conversion bureaus, so that loyal Terrans will be transformed into Equestrian humans.”

“I see.” Gem smiled slightly. “I am glad to hear that. What am I to do in the meantime, your Eminence?”

Celestia spread her hooves wide. “That is your decision to make, my little pony. It will take some time for us to make you a citizen of the Solar Empire, and longer for you to be allowed to command a ship. I encourage you to spend that time learning all you can about your new home. My officials will be in touch with you in case we need any information. For now… welcome home, Gemini.” She smiled again, and for a moment, she looked just like the Celestia Gem had known.

Gem bowed deeply. “Thank you, your Eminence. I am sure we will speak again soon.” She left, and quickly headed toward the castle library.

* * *

That night, Gem slept in one of Canterlot Castle’s many guest rooms. Her dream found her on the _Endeavour’s_ bridge, though it was dimly lit. The turbo lift door opened, and Gem’s deceased mirror counterpart strode through, looking as though she’d seen a ghost. “You know… I always knew you’d turn into me, but… even _I_ wouldn’t have been so _stupid_ as to KILL MY OWN SIBLINGS IN COLD BLOOD!”

“Don’t lecture me on murder!” Gem Prime exclaimed, turning around to face her. “You had a trail of blood stretching from Ponyville to San Francisco!”

“I only killed people because it was my duty,” Mirror Gem spat. “And career advancement, as you so wonderfully observed the first time we met! What happened to Little Miss “Murder is never justified, always wrong?! You’re a hypocrite!”

“I was caught up in a war!” Gem Prime screamed. “And betrayed! They deserve to die!”

“You make me sick,” Mirror Gem snarled. “At least when my Raven killed me, she did it to advance her own career. You didn’t even do that. You just killed for no reason.” She turns away. “You’ll never be a real Imperial, other me. You’ll always be a fake.”

“Or maybe,” said Gem Prime softly, “I’ll be twice the Imperial you ever were.”

“Go to Hell,” Mirror Gem spat, before disappearing.

* * *

In his ready room aboard the Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard updated his log. “Captain’s log, stardate 83026.8. The Asylum has become disturbed at the lack of response from the USS _Endeavour_ regarding their recent mission to the Nimoy system, and they have tasked us to investigate it.”

“Captain, there is a ship just ahead of us,” came Data’s voice. “I believe it may be the Endeavour.”

“Shine a light on it, Mr. Data,” Picard ordered. A light came on the hull of the ship, and like a flashlight, it illuminated the vessel’s registry number.

“NCC-0326… it’s the _Endeavour_ alright,” whispered Picard. “Merde… what happened to them?”

“Scans indicate photon torpedos were detonated at various strategic points of the ship,” said Data. “The warp core was targeted first, followed by other locations. There were no survivors.”

“I would imagine not,” said Picard eventually. “But who could have fired upon them?”

“Good question,” commented Riker. “Looks like we’ll have to do some investigating.”

Picard nodded. “Quite right, Number One. Mr. Worf, engage the tractor beam and pull the _Endeavour_ into the main shuttlebay. Mr. La Forge, attempt to restore power to the ship and see if any information can be salvaged from their systems.” Everyone nodded and got to work.

* * *

A few hours later, the Enterprise’s senior staff got together in the briefing room. La Forge’s face was grim. “We found something, sir, but you’re not gonna like it…” he said, and security footage of Gem’s escape and subsequent betrayal played on the screen.

Picard paled. “What… what could have caused her to react in such a violent fashion? To kill her own crew and family? And where is she now?”

“Well sir, at last rendezvous, Commander Shadow informed me that Captain Shadow had been taken over by dark magic,” Riker ventured. 

“And recent ship log entries say that the _Endeavour_ recently traveled to what is known colloquially as the ‘mirror universe,’” added La Forge. “The same mirror universe that the USS _Defiant_ wound up in during the 2260s, and before that, the one that the USS _Discovery_ got trapped in.”

“I see,” Picard answered. “Well… the only thing left to do now is dispatch a subspace message to the Asylum. What happens next is up to them.”

* * *

All Dustin could see were the stars in front of him, and all he could feel was the cold. He hadn’t expected any of this, but he knew he wasn’t going to just sit back and let himself be killed. So, instead, he closed his eyes, and imagined himself in his sickbay, so he could work out the problem in a comfortable environment.

“Okay… in humans, they have 15 seconds until oxygen bubbles form in their bloodstream, and 90 until their dead. But I’m Equestrian, which means I have something they don’t: magic. Aunt Luna spent a thousand years on the moon, and she was able to survive, so… magic!” In the real world, his hands start to glow, and a shield slowly forms around him, giving him air, if not warmth. He then swims toward the ship, aiming for engineering. He makes it through the hole cut in the hull by the torpedo, and uses more magic to seal it, allowing Engineering to be re-pressurized.

“Next problem: getting back to our universe,” says Dustin quietly. He heads to auxiliary control, where he finds a spell diagram that looks like the one Gem used to strand them here. He casts it, and sure enough, a hole in reality opens in space. Dustin returns to main Engineering and manages to get impulse power working, allowing him to drift through the hole and back into Federation space. Satisfied, he stays in auxiliary control, piloting the ship from there.

Days pass. With the ship traveling on impulse power and no real power for anything else, Dustin quickly starves. By the time the _Enterprise_ finds him, he’s unconscious, and is only revived when a second sweep of the ship by La Forge’s team reveals his location.

When he finally does awaken, he’s in the Enterprise’s sickbay, hooked up to almost every machine in the room. 

Dr. Crusher enters the room at that moment and smiles in relief. “Thank goodness, you’re awake... you’re lucky to be alive, between the starvation and exposure to the vacuum of space, the only reason you aren’t dead is probably due to your unique physiology. Not that you need me to tell you that.” She places a hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling? Mentally, I mean? Do you remember much of what happened?”

“I don’t know how much I can tell you...I don’t know what triggered the explosions, but I have an idea as to whom.”  He sighed.  “I remember the ship exploding, and being thrown clear into space.  I could see the damage to the Engineering area, near the warp core.  I created a bubble of breathable air and made my way back to the ship.”  His eyes close tightly, tears flowing from the corners.  “She killed them all...every last crew member.  Even my...my fiancé.  I tried to get to her, but I was… too late...”  He broke down into sobs, before willing himself to stay strong. “No. I will grieve later.  Right now, there’s a madwoman running loose, and if my guess is correct, she’s trying to forge an alliance with the Equestrian Solar Empire.  She needs to be stopped, by any means necessary,” he said with an edge to his voice.

“Well, the Asylum are talking about modifying a small ship to traverse between dimensions easier,” Crusher says. “We’re on our way to Equestria now, Captain Picard figures that the best way to stop her is with other Equestrians. The current plan is to clone your bearers of the Elements of Harmony using some rapid-development techniques that Medical has been working on, put them on the modified ship, and seek out your captain.” She sighs. “I can’t imagine how horrible this must be for you, Dr. Hoofer… to have your own captain consciously betray you… at least the Borg had Captain Picard brainwashed. Tell me honestly… if you were to face her now, would you punish her, or try to have her rehabilitated?”

“Gem is under the influence of dark magic,” Dustin explained.  “Auntie Luna...or Princess Luna as you all know her, taught me a lot about it based on her experiences.  The dark magic doesn’t make the person it inhabits a bad person, but it does take over their mind and make them do things their moral compass would not allow under any circumstances.”   He looked directly at Beverly. “The only thing we would need to do is purge her of the dark magic, and make her see what she’s done.  Once that’s done, knowing Gemini Shadow as I do, I know she’d end up punishing herself even worse than anything a Federation court-martial could hand down.”  He lays back and looks at the ceiling.  “I’m too biased to punish her, despite knowing what a barbaric act she committed, because I know it wasn’t the Gem I have known for all of this time.”

“Spoken like a true Equestrian,” says Crusher. “You may yet get your wish.”

* * *

Given the Asylum’s extremely limited resources, (as the bulk of Starfleet has fallen under changeling control, making using any of the established shipyards all but impossible) the _Endeavour_ is partially rebuilt, and refitted with dimensional-traveling technology, and upgraded weapons systems based on the late Emerald Wave’s extensive notes and blueprints. After several months, the newly-christened USS _Harmony_ is ready for her maiden voyage, with a small crew of 36: the cloned Element Bearers, Dustin, and a group of volunteer ponies.

On the other side of the mirror, Gem becomes the captain of the Crossfield-class ISS _Cassiopeia_ , the first Imperial vessel to be crewed exclusively by humanoid Equestrians and quadrupedal ponies. Under Empress Celestia’s leadership, the former Terran Empire (now subsumed into the Equestrian Solar Empire) have conquered most of the alpha quadrant, though pockets of resistance from the Klingon-Cardassian alliance remain.

* * *

“Captain’s log, stardate 84506.4. A group of Cardassian rebels decided it would be a good idea to attempt an assassination on Empress Celestia today, evidently not realizing that immortal alicorns cannot be felled by their pitiful ideas of weaponry, or anything else for that matter. They did, however, make an excellent dinner for the crew. While we continue to put down other pockets of rebellion, it seems the mind-altering effects of Equestrian magic are proving to be more successful than we’d hoped. Our current estimation is that by year’s end, the entire Alpha quadrant will be under our control. I look forward to finding out what we can do to the other three.”

“Captain, there is a ship approaching!” came the voice of her helmspony, a mare named Starlight Glimmer. 

“On screen,” barked Gem, striding from her ready room and onto the bridge. She now wore the nearly all-black uniform of the Empire, with a single stripe across the shoulders to denote division color, in her case, blood red. Pinned to the left side of her chest was her new commbadge, Celestia’s cutie mark bisected by a sword.

The screen clicked on to show a very familiar ship, the only thing that was different was the name inscribed on the hull. “It’s Miranda-class,” Starlight continues. “The USS _Harmony_.”

“Fascinating…” Gem mutters, sitting down in her chair. “What did they do, take my old ship and give it a new coat of paint? It looks that way…”

“Do you want me to blast them into oblivion with our photon torpedoes, ma’am?” asked her head of tactical, Blackclaw the griffon.

Gem shook her head. “Not at all, Mr. Blackclaw. Hail them if you would, please. I’d like to talk to them directly.” She stood up. “USS _Harmony_ , this is Gemini Shadow, captain of the ISS _Cassiopeia_. State your intentions please, I find you most intriguing.”

“Oh, yes, Captain Shadow… we know who you are,” says a familiar voice. The view changes to show the bridge of a 24th-century era Miranda-class ship, with a human Twilight Sparkle sitting in the middle chair. She wore no glasses, and wore her hair in a different style to the woman Gem had murdered. “In fact, you’re the reason we’re here at all.”

“Am I?” Gem asks, smirking slightly. “That’s quite interesting. Am I to assume you’ve come to join us, and free yourselves from the failed social experiment that is the United Federation of Planets?”

Twilight did not answer. Dustin stepped out of the shadows, facing the view screen. “We’ve come to take you home, Gem. Time to stop playing tyrant.”

Gem’s smirk fades, changing into an angry snarl. “You,” she hisses at Dustin. “How did you survive? I’m fairly certain I killed all of you weak-willed fools. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have my tactical officer blow you to smithereens.”

“You could have destroyed us the second you identified this ship,” Dustin said calmly.  “But you didn’t.  You’re curious.  You want to see what we’re going to do, how we’re going to react. Are we going to cower in fear at the sight of the pride of the Empire? Are we going to engage you in battle, ship-to-ship or even hand-to-hand?  Or are we planning something else, something more diabolical?”  He smiled, a tight, thin smile.  “All of these questions are running through your head, Gem.  But there’s one other part of you that won’t let you destroy us.  The same part that was repressed when you killed all of those that were loyal to you, that loved you like a sister … that same voice inside you that now screams to you to not destroy us … and that’s the part we’ve come to claim.”

“You’re assuming I’ll come willingly,” Gem replies. “Why should I? I have a nice new uniform, a few battle scars, a beautiful new ship, a crew comprised of other members of our species… I have everything I want here. What has your pathetic little Federation got that the Empire hasn’t? And don’t say Equestrian magic, because we have that in spades.” She smiles hungrily. “Mr. Blackclaw, send them a few magi-torpedoes, please. No need to kill them yet, just rough them up a little.”

Blackclaw nods, and several bursts of violet light streak toward the Harmony, causing some heavy shaking and structural damage in key areas.

“Damage report?” Twilight asked.

“Shields holdin’, fer now,” said an orange-skinned woman that bore a resemblance to Applejack.

Dustin didn’t look impressed.  “Nice fireworks show, Gem.  You always went with the shock and awe, razzle-dazzle, give ‘em a power display and watch them back down.”  He shook his head.  “Not this time.  You see, I know all of your little tricks, and how you get when you throw a tantrum, and we’ve come prepared in that regard.”  He nodded to a blue-skinned woman with rainbow-colored hair at the tactical station, who tapped a few commands into her console.

Four streaks of rainbow light shot away from the Harmony, merging at a central point in front of the Cassiopeia.  A rainbow-colored ring swept across the ship from bow to stern. Aboard the Cassiopeia, Blackclaw furiously tapped at his console. “All weapons down!  Warp power offline!  They’ve crippled us!”

“See, Gem … we can do light shows, too.”  Dustin smirked.

“Damn them…” Gem snarls. “Very well, Hoofer… I’ll play your little game.” She turns to her first officer, a humanized Diamond Tiara. “Ms. Tiara, you have the bridge. In case I don’t come back… well, I’ll leave that up to you.” She heads for the turbolift.

“Well.  That worked even better than I thought,” Dustin said as the communications channel closed.  “Captain Sparkle, I believe it is now time for you to initiate the next phase of our plan.”

Twilight smiles. “With pleasure, Doctor. With pleasure.”

* * *

Half an hour later, Gem is lying on a bed in sickbay, unconscious and restrained. Gathered around her are Dustin and the Element bearers.

“You know, I think this is the first time we’ve ever harmonized somepony who *wasn’t* moving,” Rainbow Dash observes, running a powder blue hand through her hair.

“It definitely makes it easier,” agrees Rarity.

Twilight nods. “Are you five ready to go?”

Rainbow nods. “Aye, Captain. Let’s do this.” The six women link hands, and they pony up, their hair lengthening and ears matching their skin colors appearing on the tops of their heads. A rainbow forms around Gem’s bed, and there’s a scream of unearthly agony as the dark force possessing her is obliterated. Then the rainbow fades, and Gem’s eyes open.

She sits up, looking around with a puzzled expression on her face. “What… what happened? Why am I in the sickbay? And wearing this awful outfit?” She remarks, noticing her Imperial uniform and looking sick to her stomach. “Aunt Twilight? Why are you humanoid? Where are Raven and the others?” Her eyes fall on Dustin, who is sitting quietly nearby.

Dustin rises silently from his seat and walks over to Gem. “Welcome home, Gem.  The dark magic has been removed from your body.  Do you remember anything at all about what you did or said prior to this moment?”  He sweeps a medical sensor over her and watches the readouts on the monitor over the biobed.

Gem shakes her head, and closes her eyes, thinking. “The last thing I remember clearly is placing flowers on the grave of the Caitian prime minister... I remember snatches if things after that, but nothing concrete... what day is it?”

“The current stardate is 83506.4,” replies Twilight. “You disappeared five months ago, 83017.8.”

“After the funeral of the Caitian Prime Minister, you fell under the influence of dark magic,” Dustin said.  “You changed, Gem.  And not for the better.  You became a different person, so much so that..that even Dusk had to leave the ship, because he said you reminded him too much of his former captain.”

“Oh no...” Gem frowns, looking surprised and guilty all at the same time. “And the others? Our friends and family? Why aren’t they here?” She shivers, as if she may already know the answer.

Dustin fought hard to staunch the flow of tears.  He took a shivering breath.  “Because… because they’re all dead.  Murdered.  Their ship was strategically attacked and … except for me, there were no survivors...”  He steadies himself.  “The worst part is … their killer doesn’t even remember why she killed them, or have any memory of doing it.”  He nodded to a nearby nurse, who stood by with a hypospray of a strong tranquilizer.  “Gem...” he said quietly, as if Death himself was speaking, “do I have to tell you who the killer was?”

The resulting scream of horror, disgust, and sadness was so loud, every last person in the ship heard it clear as day. The only thing that stopped it was the tranquilizer.

* * *

Gem sat alone in the Harmony’s brig, holding her Imperial commbadge in her hand. It no longer worked, as the Harmony had traveled back to Federation space shortly after Gem’s arrival. “I’m a monster...” she said softly. “Not a captain. A captain does not murder her crew mates in cold blood, then escape to the world of an evil empire bent on subjugation, and become one of their officers!” She threw the commbadge down and stomped on it with her uniform boots, then unzipped her uniform top and threw it in a corner, followed by the matching black undershirt. This left her in a bra and her uniform trousers and boots.

“Raven... Sunset... Twilight... Emerald... Adagio... Aria... Sonata... the best crew any officer could have had, and I killed them...” She leaned against the wall. “I don’t care what a Federation court does to me... I have my own way of punishing myself.” She reached into her boot and took out the dagger she’d been given when she accepted command of the Cassiopeia, gripped the hilt, and with as much force as she could muster, stabbed herself with it.

Blood spurted from the wound, and soon, Gem was lying on the floor in her own blood, the dagger still embedded in her chest. In sickbay, an alarm goes off, and Dustin and Fluttershy quickly go to the brig.

“She’s regaining consciousness, Doctor.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy.  And please, call me Dustin, okay?”

“o-okay...Dustin.”

Gem’s eyes opened to show she was once again back in Sickbay.  Tubes hooked to her arms, which were now secured in restraints, pumped blood back into her body.  A small scar was all that remained of where she had plunged the dagger into her chest.  She turned to see Dustin sitting in a chair by her bedside, making note of the readings and entering them into a PADD.

“I’m surprised the biological alarm still functioned.  Given the complete rebuilding they had to do to get the main computer back online, I had no idea it even still existed.  Lucky thing it did,” he said softly.

“I wish it didn’t,” Gem mumbled.

“Gem, if I can stay strong through this, so can you.  You’re not taking any shortcuts out of this, and I will be here by your side to help you along.”  He took one of her hands and squeezed.

Gem sighed, leaning back against her pillows. “Dustin… why do you care about me?” she asks. “I murdered your fiancé. They’d all still be here if it wasn’t for me.”

“But, it wasn’t you,” Dustin answered.  “It may have been your body in the set, your finger that entered the commands, but it wasn’t you in your mind that made the decision to destroy everyone.  It was the influence of the dark magic that seized control.  It buried everything good and decent about you deep within yourself and ran rampant among us.”  He squeezed his eyes tight, thinking of his beloved Sonata.  “Gem, I wanted to hate you.  I wanted to paint you as nothing more than a monster and make you suffer the way the rest of the crew, and I, did.  All through my agonizing journey back in this universe, I wanted unholy and bloody revenge.  But, in the end, there was only one thing that made those thoughts vanish, made me see the reality of what happened.”

“What was that?” Gem asks softly, still holding his hand.

“Auntie Luna,” he said simply.  “After my experience with the changeling abductors, I became very withdrawn and bitter.  I hated what they did to me, I hated how I was forced to live like my father, as a virtual prisoner in the castle, and I wanted nothing more than to make them pay.  Auntie Luna recognized all of this in me, because she’d been through it herself.”  He sighed.  “She told me how the dark magic crept into her mind, inhabited her very being, and pushed her down, locked her away inside her mind.  She told me how she screamed and cried when Nightmare Moon attacked her sister, powerless to do anything about it.  We’ve talked at length about what happened to you, when we first saw the manifestations of the darkness taking hold in you.  She told me, ‘Strip away the darkness and you will find the good person she always was buried deep inside.  Do not hate that person for what the darkness did.’  That’s why I am staying with you, that’s why, despite everything, I still love you like a sister, and that’s why I will advocate for you when events finally catch up to you and you must answer for what happened.”

“Thank you, Dustin,” says Gem softly. “You aren’t just a doctor… you are my savior.”

* * *

Weeks later, Gem is brought before a court-martial to answer for her crimes. She’s brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, and pleads guilty. She gives her testimony when asked, with Dustin explaining the parts she can’t recall. Her story is long, and at several points, her voice breaks as she cries. Then, the judges leave the courtroom to decide her sentence. The possession by dark magic will be taken into account, and the sentence discussed with Princess Celestia, as she is Gem’s sovereign.

Gem sits quietly, looking down at the jumpsuit she’s wearing. “Since capital punishment isn’t used here, they’ll probably strip me of rank… maybe banish me to a dungeon somewhere, or have me perform community service…”

Dustin, sitting behind her, squeezes her shoulders.  “They’re not gonna banish you to some strange world and then put you in a dungeon in the world they banished you to.  Just relax, I told you I’d be there for you no matter what and that still holds true.  They have your medical records, Auntie Luna gave a sworn statement on the effects of dark magic … just remember, whatever they decide, keep your chin up and stand tall.  These types respect that.”

A ship’s bell, a relic of an ancient seafaring era, chimes solemnly as the board of admirals enters the chamber.  Everyone, including Gem, stands as they arrive and sit only when instructed to do so.

The lead admiral raps his gavel, calling for attention by all assembled.  “Let the record show that, after careful deliberation by us, along with the input of Princesses Celestia Solaris and Luna Nocturne, sovereign rulers of the Republic of Equestria, we have come to our verdict.  Will the defendant please rise.”

Dustin squeezed Gem’s hand as she stood.

“Does the defendant wish to enter a statement at this time?” the lead admiral asked.

“Only that I will accept whatever punishment you deem right and proper, sir,” she says, trying to keep her chin up and stand tall, as Dustin asked her to. Still, a few beads of sweat trickle down her forehead. She gulps softly.

The admiral nodded.  “Let the record of this court-martial reflect that, after reviewing all available information and testimony, this panel finds Captain Gemini Shadow not guilty of the charges against her by reason of temporary insanity.  Miss Shadow, this court-martial recommends that you be stripped of the rank of Captain, and be granted a general discharge from Starfleet with no further marks on your record.  You will be required to continue to undergo psychological therapy, under the supervision of Lieutenant Commander Dustin Hoofer, former chief medical officer of the USS Endeavour and expert on Equestrian physiology.  You are remanded to the custody of Princess Celestia for the purpose of returning to your home world to receive the care you need.  I thank my colleagues for their assistance in this very difficult case, and this court-martial stands adjourned.”  With one rap of the gavel, the admirals rise and file out of the chamber.

* * *

“Ship’s log, first officer Rarity Belle recording, stardate 83518.9. We’ve returned to Equestria to drop off Captain… I mean, Miss, Gemini Shadow, who is now a civilian following her discharge from Starfleet. Dr. Hoofer will be accompanying her, and Lieutenant Commander Fluttershy will take his place as our chief medical officer. In the meantime, Princess Celestia has tasked us with serving as any other ship in the fleet would do, now that our main task is complete.”

Gem sighs as she’s beamed down from the Harmony, with Dustin beside her. “I don’t think I can bear the thought of going back to Shadowfall yet,” she says quietly. “I’d much rather stay in Canterlot with you.” She hugs him.

“It’s not like the castle is lacking for spare rooms,” Dustin said, hugging Gem back.  “I’m sure Aunties Tia and Lu would love to spend time with you.  Let’s go talk to them, I’m sure they won’t have a problem with it.”

Gem nods, and off they go to do just that. They enter not the throne room, but the castle’s dining room, where the Princesses are finishing off a pancake breakfast. Luna smiles. “At last, you have returned! Welcome home!”

Gem smiles a little and bows. “Thank you, your Eminence… Sorry, Majesty. I’ve been around your other selves for too long.”

Celestia places a gold-shod hoof on Gem’s shoulder and nuzzles her. “It’s alright, my little pony. You’re home now, and safe. What can we do for you?”

“Well… is it alright if I take up residence in the castle?” she asks. “I’m not ready to go back to Ponyville yet… I’d see their ghosts all over the place.”

Celestia nods.  “I can certainly understand that.”

Luna looks at Dustin.  “What say you, as her official physician?”

Dustin gives both of the princesses a look.  “In my professional opinion, I believe it would be best for Miss Shadow to remain here until such time as she feels comfortable to return to her home environment.  We can arrange day trips to Ponyville as her treatment progresses and allow her to re-acclimate to the surroundings.”

Both of the princesses look at each other and let out a squee.  “Oooh, he sounds so official, Tia!” Luna says, a smile spreading across her face.

“Indeed, such an intelligent boy we have here!” Celestia chimes in.

Dustin rolls his eyes.  “Okay, aunties, is it okay if Gem and I have a sleepover for however long she wants to stay?” he asks, some amusement in his voice.

The princesses both nod.  “Of course, Gemini is always welcome here.  We will have a room prepared not far from your quarters, Dustin.”

Gem nods. “Thank you, both… _immensely_. It feels good to be home.” And so, walking hand-in-hand with her almost-brother, she walks into the castle’s depths, to begin a new chapter of her life.

* * *

Commander Diamond Tiara’s face appeared on Empress Celestia’s viewscreen. She was sitting in the captain’s chair aboard the ISS _Cassiopeia_ , and smiling slightly. “Your Eminence, I report that the other universe’s Gemini Shadow has returned to her home universe after all.”

“Willingly?” Celestia asked.

Diamond shook her head. “No, ma’am. After a brief exchange of phaser fire, Captain Shadow reluctantly decided to board the Federation vessel, the USS _Harmony._ ”

“So I see,” Celestia continued.

“Do you wish for us to pursue her, your Eminence?”

“No, Commander. The Federation has already proved it can now travel between realities, and while subjugating them is tempting, given their weakened state... the risks to the greater multiverse are too large to ignore. We are better off in our own universe, Ms. Tiara. As for Captain Shadow... having an ex-Federation member among us was always a temporary one. Remember, she was possessed by dark magic, and dark magic can be removed. It is no replacement for growing up here. You are to leave her be, Ms. Tiara. You are also the Cassiopeia’s new captain. I trust you will use the position well.”

Diamond nodded, saluting her Empress. “Thank you, Eminence. Long live the Empire!” The screen went out.


	26. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months after her discharge from Starfleet, Gem is still troubled with nightmares and memories, but Luna and Dustin have a plan to help her.

It had been several weeks since Gem’s return to her Equestria following her dismissal from Starfleet. She hadn’t been sleeping well the past few nights, and both Luna and Dustin were concerned. One morning, as she was preparing to go to bed after a long night of dreamscape work, Luna approached Dustin at breakfast.  "Dustin, may we have a word with you about Gemini?”

“Of course, Auntie Luna,” Dustin replied.  “Is something the matter?”

Luna sighed.  “Poor Gemini is still troubled by her actions.  It has become a constant thing to enter her dreams and chase away the nightmares she has, vivid ones regarding the death of her siblings and friends.  Is there any way to permanently remove such negative things from her mind?”

Dustin shook his head.  “Not without removing the very essence of who she is.  The humans call it a ‘lobotomy,’ and it involves essentially destroying parts of her brain.  The other option is ECT, or electro-convulsive therapy, in essence zapping the brain with electrical shocks to stabilize the chemicals within, but this also could lead to Gem not knowing who she is… or who any of us are.”

Luna shook her head.  “Such barbaric methods will never be considered for her treatment!”

“I give my word they won’t,” Dustin said solemnly.  “All we can truly do to help her is be there for her.  I will be there in the daylight, and she will need you there to guard her dreams.  The memories will never fully disappear, but with our constant love and attention, they may not be as severe.”

Luna nods.  “A wise treatment regimen, Doctor.  Thank you.”

* * *

Gemini Shadow had never felt so alone. For two and a half wonderful years, she’d achieved her dream, following her father’s hoof steps into Starfleet, and serving alongside the people she’d known all her life, her two younger sisters and their friends. But now… she had nothing. Starfleet had ejected her, her ship had been renamed and placed in the care of another crew, and all because she’d been foolish enough to turn to darkness after the death of someone she’d cared about.

The truth was, she’d gotten off quite lucky. Dustin was still an active member of Starfleet, which meant he’d been able to procure for her the files of a Michael Burnham, the infamous mutineer from the Federation-Klingon wars of the 2250s. She’d been stripped of rank and sentenced to life in prison for her crimes, whereas Gem got to live in Canterlot Castle with her closest friend and physician, and both of the Royal Sisters. 

Gem didn’t get out much these days. Without a ship to command or officers to lead, she spent the majority of her time cooped up in the castle, not daring to use her magic for anything. As bad as her days were, her nights were worse. Her nightmares showed no signs of abating, so every night was another one spent in the company of her own sins, with only Luna to rescue her.

One night, Gem had had enough. She threw off her covers and slid her feet into some slippers, then walked through the largely empty halls of the castle to Luna’s private bedroom, where she knew the princess would be when not holding night court. She knocked on the door softly and said, “Princess Luna? It’s Gemini… can we talk for a bit?”

The door opened to admit her, and Luna smiled. “But of course we can, my dear one. All I ask is that you address me as Luna, as your father did.” As Gem entered the room and sat down, Luna reached out and hugged the grey-skinned humanoid tight, wrapping her in her long forelegs. “What troubles you tonight, Gemini?”

“The usual,” Gem answered. “The usual crop of nightmares when I sleep, restlessness and boredom during the day… I have no hobbies, at least none that I can replicate here. I have no ship to command, or officers to work with… I feel like a pegasus that has had her wings clipped, or a unicorn that’s had her horn shattered.”

She leaned against Luna’s chest, burying her face in the alicorn’s fur. “I spent six months in the other universe… and it would’ve been longer if Dustin hadn’t turned up. The crew was different, and I was fighting for the preservation of an empire rather than a unified federation of worlds… but I still had a job to do. I treated the crew of the Cassiopeia the same way I treated the crew of the Endeavour, as colleagues and friends. The concept was foreign to them… but to my great surprise, they were willing to try. No attempts on my life were made the entire time I was there. Perhaps I got through to them. Not that it matters now… they were but a substitute to those I had lost. Luna… how much longer must I endure this torment?”

“Only as long as you allow yourself to, dearest Gemini,” Luna replied, nuzzling Gem’s cheek. “I see myself in you… in ancient days, Equestria’s borders scarcely stretched past what is now the Everfree Forest. The land we now call home was wild and untamed, and our subjects were routinely threatened by wild beasts and war lords. My sister was, as ever, the diplomat, and I, the warrior. Together, we worked to expand our kingdom, and by the time of my own turn to darkness, Equestria had grown to half its present size. With that came fewer and fewer battles, and that meant I had to shift from a princess of warfare to one of statecraft, something dear Tia was more suited for than I. And upon my return from my moon, I had to do so again, in a country that was now twice as big, and infinitely more complex, than what I had left behind. Like you, I felt bored and listless, but also guilt-ridden. I assume you know of the Tantabus?”

Gem nodded. “A monster of your own creation, which you made to punish yourself for your crimes as Nightmare Moon. It was only because of Aunt Twilight and her friends that it was defeated, and you could be allowed to heal.”

Luna nodded approvingly. “That is correct. I stewed in my guilt for many years, believing myself to be a failure and a monster, as you do now. But it was _friendship_ that saved me the first time, and it did so again with the Tantabus. Which is why, if you are to truly rid yourself of these night terrors, you must seek out your friends, and their counsel.”

“But my friends are dead,” Gem pointed out. “Apart from you, Dustin, your sister, and Aunts Twilight and Emerald.”

“And yet,” said Luna, smiling slightly, “Your father lives on in that other universe, does he not? You remain alive here, though your counterpart has ceased to be. And there is another mirror universe here, right beneath our noses.”

Gem gasped. “But of course! Aunt Twilight’s magic mirror! My friends are still alive there! I mean, they’re not the _same_ friends…”

“But they are near enough that seeking their counsel should be the same as those whom you miss,” Luna finished. “I cannot cast the spell I use to allow you to speak with your father, as the amount of spirits involved, coupled with the short duration of the spell, would allow you but a few seconds. So… it is up to you, Gemini.”

“But not alone, I hope?” Gem asks.

Luna smiles. “But of course not. We shall send Dustin with you.”

* * *

“Gemini’s personal log, stardate 83771.4. Dustin has advised me to keep a diary as my treatment program progresses, as I used to do when I was a captain, though I handwrite them now rather than record them with my voice. With his and Aunt Twilight’s assistance, I have begun using my magic again. I must admit it feels good to see my own powers again, rather than the dark ones I’d been using before. In addition, today Dustin and I will be traversing the mirror portal in Aunt Twilight’s library, so that the two of us may reunite with our fallen comrades, more or less. I admit, I am rather nervous about the venture, as it is my first time in Ponyville since my return.”

“The Ponyville I lived in during my time in the mirror universe was a very different place. The version of my father that lived there, Lord Orion Shadow, ruled the place with an iron hoof, and treated me as his own daughter. Shadowfall Manor was largely the same, apart from all the booby-traps meant to trip up would-be assassins. I have not been in my Shadowfall since before the war, and I don’t think I will go back there until after the voyage through the mirror is complete.” She felt the train slowing down, and quickly jotted down another sentence with her quill pen: “I shall write more later, I believe we are about to arrive.” Then, with Dustin walking alongside her, she hurried off the train and onto the platform, where her Aunts Twilight and Emerald were waiting.

“There’s our favorite niece!” Emerald gushed, giving Gem a tight hug with her forelegs and both wings. “Canterlot hasn’t turned you into one of those high-society snobs, has it?”

Gem laughed. “No, Auntie, it hasn’t… I’m so glad to see you both, I missed you so much!”

“We missed you too,” said Twilight, nuzzling Gem’s cheek. “Luna’s been updating us ever since you came home, we’re glad she suggested going through our mirror.” She took Gem and Dustin’s suitcases in her magic. “Alright everypony, let’s go!” And off they went.

* * *

As they stood before the mirror, Gem squeezed Dustin’s hand. “So, on a scale of one to ten, where do you think you’ll rate this over transporters?”

“No idea,” Dustin answered. “But at least I know I’ll be in one piece on the other side.”

“Indeed,” Gem replies, chuckling. “Let’s go.” And with that, the two Equestrians step through.

* * *

“You’ve made it!” said a cheerful voice. The other Gem, younger compared to her Starfleet counterpart, smiled and helped them both up. “Welcome, you two!”

“It’s good to be here,” said Captain Gem, smiling back. “I assume Princess Twilight told you I was coming?”

The younger Gem nodded. “Indeed she did. Please, come with me.” And she led them on a walk through town, doing her best to keep their spirits up. “By the way, just to keep things straight, you can call me Aquarius,” she said.

Gem nodded some more. “Very well, Aquarius it is.” The walk continued for a little while longer, but it was only when they arrived at this world’s version of Shadowfall that Gem began to show signs of nervousness. “Dustin… I’m not sure I can go through with this…” she muttered. “What if I react badly? Lose control of myself?”

“It’ll be okay, Gem,” said Dustin softly, squeezing Gem’s hand. “You can do this. When you’re finished here, we’ll go home and we can resume our lives as they were… more or less. But we have to get through this first.”

“And trust me,” Aquarius added, “My friends are a very forgiving group. If there’s anyone who can forgive you, it’s them.” And so, Gem walked up the steps and into the house.

* * *

There they all were, seven young women with skin tones ranging from lavender and magenta to pale blue to yellow and gold, women she’d known all her life, and women she thought she’d never see again, wearing their duty uniforms like always. (They had, in fact, been rented from a costume shop down the road from Crystal Prep).

Raven stood up, and took Gem’s hand. “Gem?” she asked. “Are you alright?”

In answer, Gem wrapped her arms around Raven and hugged her as tight as humanly or equinely possible, sobbing so hard her body shook as if caught in an earthquake. When, at last, she could speak again, it was in a voice thick with tears: “Never… in my wildest dreams… did I believe I would hear that voice again…” She looked up. “Raven… I am so, so sorry… I was not myself… if I could, I would turn back the hands of time and stop myself from committing the heinous act that took you from me…”

“And I’d say, quit living in our shadows and be the best damn sister you can be,” said Raven. She’d been instructed by Aquarius to act as though she really was her deceased counterpart, which wasn’t too hard, since her counterpart’s adventures existed on DVD for her to watch.

“But am I still a sister if I have no siblings?” Gem asked.

Sunset nodded. “You will always be our big sister, Gem,” she said. “Because we’re always alive, right _here_.” She poked Gem’s chest, right where her heart would be.

“What else am I to do?” Gem wondered. “I’m no longer in Starfleet, I’m a civilian now!”

“So what?” Sonata exclaimed. “You can write, can’t ya? Write stories about us! Continue our missions like they never ended! You can do that!”

“You know…” said Gem slowly, “That’s not a bad idea. I could even act them out using the magi-holodeck.”

“Just as long as you don’t go too overboard,” said Dustin. “But she’s right. This can be a good way of coping.”

“Then, I suppose, I have one last question,” Gem said finally. “Do you all forgive me?”

“Of course we do,” said Raven, and the seven girls hugged her in turn.

* * *

Back in Equestria, Gem stepped back through the portal, and was met by Aunt Emerald’s concerned face. “So? How did it go?”

“Splendidly,” Gem replied, smiling. “I feel so much better now… as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!”

“Well, good!” Emerald grinned. “Because do we have a surprise for you! Sparks and the girls have been working on it ever since you left, and now we’re ready to show it to you! Ready?”

“Ready,” said Gem happily.

* * *

Whatever it was Gem had expected to see as she entered her girlhood home, it wasn’t the sight that greeted her now. The main sitting room had been redecorated into a full recreation of the bridge of the _Endeavour_ , from the circular layout of the room to the various consoles, and the chairs. She could hear the thrum of the engines, and see stars zipping past. About the only clue that gave it away was that the turbo lift door led out into the main entrance hall just behind her.

Gem turned to Emerald and gasped. “You did it… you really did it…”

Emerald nodded. “We always knew that ship is where you truly belonged. We can’t put you back on it for real, of course, so this is the next best thing.”

“And of course,” said Aunt Twilight, as she trotted into the room, “What’s a bridge without its officers?” She took the science station, with AJ at Tactical, Aunt Emerald at Engineering, Spike as first officer, Fluttershy as counselor, (with Dustin standing nearby) Rarity at Helm, Dash at Navigation, and of course, Gem herself in the big chair.

With tears in her eyes, (and Pinkie playing a certain 8-note fanfare from somewhere nearby) Gem spoke: “Space… the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship _Endeavour_. Her _continuing_ mission…”

“To explore strange new worlds,” said Aunt Twilight.

“To seek out new life, and new civilizations,” said Aunt Emerald.

“To boldly go where no pony has gone before!” they chorused.

And for the first time in ages, Gem tugged at the helm of her uniform, smiled, and said, “Engage.”


	27. A Tale of Two Birds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Robin Mostolsky and Raven Shadow as they fall in love with one another.

"Captain's log, stardate 81789.1: The counterpart of Dr. Hoofer that we liberated from the infamous mirror universe has been adjusting well to life aboard our ship. He serves under Commander Sparkle in the hydroponics lab, he says it is a relief to be growing food rather than illegal Earth drugs. We have also taken to calling him Dusk Runner, to better differentiate him from Dustin.” Gem’s musings were interrupted by the sound of her door chime. “Come in!” she called out.

Raven entered the room, dressed not in her Starfleet uniform, but in clothes more appropriate for relaxing on a beach. “Well sis, I’m off for my two weeks of shore leave,” she announced. “Don’t burn the ship down while I’m gone, or get into any apocalyptic scrapes!”

Gem blushed, “Raven, when have we ever gotten into apocalyptic scrapes?”

“At least once a week a few times a month, usually on Sunday afternoons,” Raven replied promptly. “Sometimes the evenings too.”

“You’re right about that,” Gem agreed thoughtfully, glancing toward the fourth wall of her ready room and back. “In any event, have a good time on the beaches of Florida. I’d say you earned a vacation!”

“You should come with me!” Raven exclaimed. “You and Sunset both! When was the last time we ever got to do anything as siblings?”

“Too long,” Gem acknowledged, “But alas, I cannot. We’ll be meeting with Admiral Nechayev later today, and you know how things go with her...”

Raven sighed. “I loathe that woman... she nearly got you, Dustin, and Dagi killed by the Cardassians. What could she possibly want now?!”

“I don’t know, beyond that it involves Lieutenant Runner,” Gem replied, “And that dimension-traveling technology he arrived here with. Emerald has been spending the last three days attempting to reverse-engineer it.” Gem left her quarters and walked with Raven to the transporter room, giving her a hug. "Have a good time," she says, smiling. "You'll be missed here."

"Don't worry," Raven reassured, climbing onto the transporter pad. "I'll be back home before you know it! Energize!” She disappeared.

* * *

Raven re-appeared in a busy spaceport at Cape Canaveral, where the space shuttles had once been launched. The windows were open, allowing the smell of fresh sea air to fill the area. Raven smiled. "Mmm... finally, fresh oxygen! Just what a girl needs!"

Hurrying along the walkway, not paying attention to where she was going, a young [lady](http://bit.ly/2IqtqWn) suddenly bumped into Raven, sending both of them down to the ground. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” said the lady, “Here, let me help you up ... oh dear, you’re not hurt, are you?”

Raven dusted herself off. “Nah, I’ve been through worse. Are you all right?” She studied the woman in front of her. Standing at average height, with long reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes, Raven couldn’t help but notice how strikingly lovely she looked.

“I’m fine, yes… I guess I was in such a hurry to catch the transport to the hotel I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She smiled at Raven. “I’m Robin, by the way. Robin Mostolsky. What’s your name?”

“Raven Shadow,” she said, extending her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” They shook hands, and Raven felt a slight jolt at the contact. “What hotel are you staying at? Perhaps we can share a transport...?”

“I’m staying at the Flamingo, right along the waterfront,” Robin replied.

Raven grinned. “Cool, I’m at the Sunset Inn, right next to that! Come on, let’s grab that transport!”

Robin and Raven walked together to the pick-up area, where a transport was waiting. Raven floated her bags into the trunk with her magic, causing Robin to gasp. "How... how are you doing that?" she asked.

Raven smiled. "I'm half pony, on my mother’s side. I'm from a place called Equestria, the ponies who live there can cast magic spells, like levitation." She floated Robin's bags in too, and they climbed into the back seats. Taking out a PADD, she showed Robin a family photo. "That's my father, Orion, my mother Raven Mystic, my big sister Gem, and our adopted little sister Sunset," she explained.

Robin stared at the picture for a long time, still not fully believing what she was seeing. “Wow ... that’s quite the interesting family you have there. Wish I could say the same, it’s just me and my folks.” Accidentally swiping right, she uncovers another photo. She begins to giggle. “Sorry, but...who are these with Sunset?” she says, pointing to the photo.

"That's Adagio, Aria, and Sonata," Raven explains, pointing to each one in turn, "They're half-siren. In Equestria, the sirens were three beautiful but dangerous creatures who could charm ponies with their music, stirring up all kinds of chaos in the process. Luckily, those three are really pretty nice." She swipes right again, showing a picture of a lavender-skinned girl with black glasses and blue hair streaked with purple and pink, and another girl with yellow skin and curly brown hair, also wearing glasses. "That's Twilight and her sister, Emerald. Twi's kind of a nerd."

Robin looks a the photo, astounded. “So, you all came from the same place, and I’m guessing all of you are in Starfleet, too? That’s actually pretty neat. I work for the Federation, too, but nothing too exciting. My job keeps me grounded here on Earth anyway, with the occasional trip to the drydocks.” She looks at Raven and smiles softly. “Figures all the really good looking ones come from far away, and never stick around long.”

Raven blushed. "If you wanted, I could see about getting you transferred. Gem's a great captain, she's always talking about how close the crew is to one another."

Robin’s face lights up, but then returns to a more neutral expression.“That would be really nice if you captain could find a use for me.All I do now is work for the quartermaster’s corps, making sure the ships have all of their supplies and doing basic logistic work.Do you really think your captain would be able to find a job for me on board?”

Raven grins. "Without a doubt!" The transport pulls up to Raven's hotel. "Want to get breakfast tomorrow?"

“I’d love to,” Robin says. Clearly on impulse, she leans in and kisses Raven’s cheek, then sits back and blushes furiously for a moment. “Um, so, meet in the lobby here, or there’s a little spot on the beach, good breakfast and beautiful sunrises..?”

"Let's go with that second option," Raven says, kissing Robin back. "See you in the morning, Robin." With a sexy-looking smile on her face, she gets out and collects her bags, then goes to check in.

* * *

The following morning, Raven and Robin meet again on the beach, at a tiny little breakfast place. The owner smiles as the two ladies approach. “What can I get you two?” he asks.

Raven consults a menu board. “French toast and scrambled eggs for me, please,” she says.

“I’ll have the same,” says Robin with a nod.

“Coming right up!” says the owner, turning to begin making the requested food.

Raven offers a few gold coins as payment, before slipping them back into her bag and blushing. “Right… I keep forgetting that the rest of the Federation doesn’t really do money.”

“They do where you come from?” Robin asks, awed.

Raven nods, taking out the coin again and showing it to Robin. On one side was a picture of the sun, and on the other, a crescent moon. “This is a bit,” she explains. “It’s the main unit of currency on Equus, my home planet. Equestria is a country there.”

“What does the sun and moon mean?” Robin asks, turning the bit around so she can admire it from all angles.

“Those are the cutie marks of our rulers, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” says Raven. “Celestia raises the sun every morning, and Princess Luna raises the moon every night, and arranges our constellations.”

Robin blinked. “Okay, but… how is that even possible?”

“The Zacherele sector, where Equus is, operates on different physical laws than the rest of space,” Raven continued. “Our magic surrounds the entire sector, meaning ponies control almost everything that goes on within its borders.”

“So your world doesn’t rotate along an axis, giving you seasons?”

Raven shook her head. “Nope. Ponies control those too.” She smiles fondly. “The Running of the Leaves is one of my favorite times of year… it’s a big race that goes from one end of Ponyville, my hometown, to the other. The combined force of hundreds of pony hooves all hitting the ground at once causes the leaves to fall off the trees. When I was a kid, my sisters and our cousins all took first place one year! Aunt Applejack was so proud, she hosted a great big party in Sweet Apple Acres, and Dad got a bunch of Starfleet friends of his to come.” She laughed at the memories. “You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a Klingon and Princess Luna get into a drinking competition. Luna won, of course, but it was a close thing.”

“Your world sounds amazing,” Robin whispers, as their food arrives.

Raven smiles. “It’s pretty awesome. Maybe I’ll be able to show it to you sometime.” She begins to eat her food, and lets out a soft neigh of pleasure. “This is awesome! _So_ much better than the replicated stuff I eat on the _Endeavour_!”

The owner smiled. “Many thanks, miss. It’s an old family recipe.”

Raven turned back to Robin. “How about you? I bet you’ve got a lot of interesting stories to tell, growing up at the center of the Federation and everything.”

Robin blushed. “Not as much as you’d think. My parents are both civilians, I’m the first in my family to go into Starfleet.” She sighed. “I wanted to see the stars, instead I got a boring old desk job at KSC.”

Raven reached over and took Robin’s light-skinned hand in her own lavender one. “Robin, I promise you, by the time our two weeks are up you’ll have a place on the _Endeavour_. You’ll see those stars soon enough.”

Robin smiled. “Thanks… you really are an amazing girl.”

* * *

Raven and Robin spent the entire day together, with Robin even checking in to a room at the Sunset Inn so she could be closer to Raven. They swam in the ocean, collected seashells, built sand castles, and at night, looked up at the stars, talking and drinking. Throughout the day, both women had felt a romantic attraction toward one another begin to build, and it only grew stronger as the night wore on.

“So, I gotta ask,” said Robin, looking over at Raven. “Why are you purple? I mean, sure, I’ve seen other aliens with odd skin colors, but… I dunno. Still kinda odd.”

Raven shrugged. “I think it’s a side effect of being cloned. Like you saw in the picture, Mom had purple fur, and that carried over to me. I think ponies are colored the way they are because we’re magical creatures, not like the ones you humans have.”

“That brings up another question,” said Robin. “Do you identify as a human or a pony?”

Raven thought this over. “It’s changed a bit over the years,” she admitted. “We were only created because Mom and Dad had a hell of a time fitting in when they served in Starfleet. Everything from uniforms to starship designs had been made with bipeds in mind, and they were quadrupeds. When they got home, Princess Celestia realized it’d be very difficult for any other Equestrians to serve comfortably on a Starfleet ship, and so they made us. Officially, we’re the best mix of pony and human DNA that it was possible to create. That said…”

She sighed. “None of us girls never really felt totally at home in Equestria. We might have pony traits, but biologically, we’re closer to you humans. Half the reason we joined Starfleet at all was so we could be surrounded by other humanoids. Only… it made more problems than it solved.”

“What do you mean?” Robin inquired.

Raven sighed some more. “I don’t know what it is, but there’s been a huge part of Starfleet that seems to have it out for us Equestrians. Dad’s second officer on his ship, the _Shadowfall_ , was a huge old bigot, and I suspect Nechayev put him there in the hopes that Dad would find him so intolerable that he’d resign of his own accord. Dad didn’t though, and wound up dropping the officer off at a starbase after he went crazy with power. Then, earlier this year, Nechayev sold Gem, Adagio, and our CMO Dustin Hoofer, another Equestrian, to the Cardassians.”

Robin gasped, horrified. “That’s insane! And at least a dozen different kinds of illegal! What did she do that for?!”

“Our magic,” Raven answered. She closed her eyes and ponied up, a tail forming up, and pony ears poking through her hair. “Imagine you suddenly possessed a power that could reshape reality itself, and the only ones who can wield it are ten aliens from a small backwater of a planet in a forgotten corner of the Alpha Quadrant. This power has already been used new types of weapons, among other things. Equestrian magic, in the wrong hooves, could totally alter the balance of power in the galaxy. And we’re the only ones capable of stopping it. We grew up with it, it literally flows in our bloodstream. But because we’ve been taught to use it well, we’re not stupid enough to use it to control people, like Nechayev would want. She wants our power, but not us specifically.”

Robin gulped. “Yeah… okay, I think I’m starting to see what you mean.”

Raven nodded, her pony aspects fading away. “Every single time someone has come after us, it’s been because of our magic, or simply because they don’t like us, as a species. And they’ve all been Earth humans, like you.”

“Yeah…” Robin sighed. “We have a history of treating other races badly. I mean, look at the ancient slave trade. We’ve fought whole wars over skin color. We say we’re more enlightened now, but I don’t believe a word of it.”

“Ponies were pretty bad too, before Equestria was founded,” Raven added. “In the ancient times, the three tribes, unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi, all lived separately. One winter got so bad, the tribes scattered around the world for new homes, only to end up in the same place. Then they got to arguing, and the leaders became as cold as their hearts. It was only because their assistants were able to become friends that they were saved.” She leans back. “Anyway, to answer your question… my big sis likes to say that she’s a pony in a human body, and I kinda agree with her. I eat hay and flowers, I can’t process meat… even my teeth are all flat. So… pony, I guess. At least now.”

“Kind of like Ambassador Spock,” Robin commented. “He was half human, half Vulcan.”

Raven nodded. “Yup. Gem _loves_ the guy, she did a report on him in elementary school. We had to write an essay about who our heroes were, and she picked Spock. Then, when we went to the Academy, she spent a whole semester studying abroad on Vulcan. She even _thinks_ like a Vulcan, always looking at things from a logical point of view.” She leans in, smirking. “She used to have a poster of him on her bedroom wall at our house, and would talk to it whenever she was having a bad day.”

Robin burst out laughing. “That’s _adorable!_ Does she still have it?”

Raven shrugged. “If she does, it’s probably in storage somewhere.” She finished her drink. “Anyway… want me to show ya what else my magic can do?” she asked, wagging her finger in a ‘come hither’ sort of gesture, which she learned from Adagio.

“Yes please,” said Robin immediately, following Raven back into their room.

* * *

The next morning, Gem materializes in the main lobby of Raven's hotel. After finding out which room is hers, Gem hurries and knocks on the door. "Raven, are you awake? I hate to cut your vacation short, but you're needed aboard ship. Immediately."

The door opens to reveal not Raven, but Robin, wrapped in a hotel bathrobe. “Oh, you must be Raven’s captain ... um ... she’s in the shower at the moment, I’ll go get her...please, come in.” She opens the door and steps aside.

“Who’s that at the door, dear?” Raven calls out from the bathroom. She walks out into the front room, wrapped in a towel and drying her hair. She stops short upon seeing Gem. “Gem? What are you doing here in… oh… I see you met Robin, we’re… together now...”

“We just got back from the beach, and were washing the salt water out of our hair, honest!” Robin explained. “We haven’t...well, we haven’t done _that_ yet, we just met a couple of days ago...”

Gem smiles. "Yes, Robin, I am Raven's older sister, Gemini. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope you'll make her very happy indeed. I'd invite you to come aboard with us, but... well, I might not have a ship for much longer."

"Alright Gem, out with it," Raven barks. "What's going on?”

“Nechayev wants us to commit genocide, in summary,” said Gem at once. “Against the Terran Empire and our counterparts.”

Raven narrowed her eyes and bunched her hands into fists. “Oh, so she can then turn around and blow up _our_ Equus?! I don’t think so!” She runs over to her suitcase and throws her commbadge out the open window, where it lands in the sand. "To hell with our orders," she exclaims. "Let's go be heroes." With magic, she changes into her uniform and kisses Robin's nose. "I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise."

“I’ll be waiting, no matter what happens,” Robin sighed, kissing Raven on the cheek.

“Endeavour, two to beam up,” said Gem, and both Equestrians disappeared in a shimmer of light.

* * *

Robin’s vacation had been much shorter than she wanted, but still one of the most memorable experiences of her life. By fate itself, she met a girl who swept her off her feet and given her everything she’d ever dreamed of, and then she was gone. With a heavy heart, she went back to work, ready to spend the rest of her life in a small, windowless office, with only PADDs for company.

At least, that was the case until she heard someone knock on the door, and a posh, crisp voice say: "Miss Mostolsky? It's Captain Shadow. I do hope your bags are packed, because I have some very good news for you."

Robin looks up from her desk and is startled. “Captain Shadow? Wow, this is quite the surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon!” She gets up and walks over to Gem. “What’s this about a surprise?”

Gem snaps her fingers, and a blue sciences uniform with black piping running across the shoulders appears in her hands. "Welcome aboard the USS _Endeavour_ , Ensign. It will be a pleasure to have you with us."

Robin is dumbfounded. “I buh—wha—how? When??”

"Well, my sister produced a transfer request in your name, and I signed it," Gem explains. "Besides: her happiness is very important to me, and I could see how happy you made her when we first met. As the Vulcans would say, bringing you aboard is... logical."

“Oh, this is...wonderful!” Robin gushed. “My goodness, I have so much to do, when do I need to report? Oh my, I need to get packed and get my stuff to the ship… how do I get my stuff to the ship?” she began to panic a bit.

Gem places a calming hand on the ensign's shoulder. "Whenever you're ready. As for getting your things aboard..." She tosses Robin a commbadge. "Just tap it and say, 'one to beam up.' It's keyed to our systems, so our transporter technician will hear you."

Overcome with joy, Robin gives Gem a great big hug! “Thank you so much, Captain! Raven was right, you’re a wonderful person!” She straightens herself up and salutes, smiling. “I’ll be on board as soon as I can, ma’am!”

"Excellent," Gem replies, hugging back tight. "I'll see you quite soon." She makes her departure, headed next to Nechayev's office.

* * *

Raven was standing by the transporter platform when Robin arrived, in full uniform. She grinned and embraced the Earth girl, nuzzling her on the cheek with her nose. “Robin! You made it!”

“Yep, sure did!” Robin smiled and climbed off the platform, “How do you like my uniform?”

“It hugs your curves really well, and the blue really brings out your eyes,” Raven answers. Robin looks perplexed at first, until Raven laughs. “One of my aunts is Equestria’s greatest fashionistas! That’s what she’d say too!” Robin laughs too, and they move on to Robin’s quarters.

* * *

Robin adjusted quickly to starship life. The smallness of the crew, coupled with how close the senior staff were to one another, gave every day a warm, familial atmosphere. Her days were spent working in the hydroponics lab with Dusk Runner, putting her botany degree to work. Nights were spent either in Ten Forward with her crew-mates, particularly her girlfriend and family, or in her quarters with K'bleh, a Klingon and Adagio Dazzle's second-in-command. 

As the weeks and months passed, Robin learned more about Equestrian magic and how it worked, especially from Twilight Sparkle, clone of the former Element of Magic. "It's a curious thing," said Twilight to Sunset one evening, as the two departed the bridge after the end of their shifts. "She wants to know as much as she can about magic, even though she can't wield it."

"She sounds a lot like me before I changed," Sunset observed. "Have you covered dark magic yet?"

"Not yet," Twilight answered. "I'm working toward it though, I'd like to finish our unit on magical creatures first."

"Including changelings?" Sunset raised an eyebrow. In the last few months they'd been hearing more and more about the possibility of war with the shapeshifters, and the mood had gotten tense. Section 31's apparent interference with Dr. Hoofer's work did not help matters either.

Twilight nodded. " _Especially_ changelings. She knows what to look out for in case any of us are replaced. Her connection with Raven alone is strong enough that any changeling with enough desperation could try to cause problems."

Sunset sighed. "You're right, though I do wish we didn't have to go through this at all..." She opened the door to her quarters. "Anyway, I'm probably going to get some sleep. See you tomorrow, Twilight."

"Goodnight, Sunset," Twilight replied, heading further down the hall.

* * *

The stardate was 82634.8, 20 August 2405. Robin had been on the _Endeavour_ for almost a year now, and in that time, the ship had changed dramatically. With the outbreak of war the previous spring, the ship's "[night mode](http://bit.ly/2K7AS5J)," in which all white lights aboard the ship were turned blue, and other lights (especially on the bridge) were dimmed or turned off altogether, had been made permanent. Per captain's orders, recreational activities were canceled for the duration of the war. The vessel was now a battleship, and Gem expected her crew to act like soldiers.

One fateful night, Raven entered Gem’s ready room, her face grim, and spoke plainly. “Gem, where does this end? I fully agree, this hive needs to be destroyed so it can’t be used for the purposes it has been, but then what? You know that they’ll only set up somewhere else, if they haven’t already. More importantly, seeing you be so calm about wiping something off the face of a planet is unsettling, to say the least. You, my sister, who wouldn’t even squish a parasprite when we were kids … I don’t know if I like this new side of you, Gem.”

"We've made too many compromises already," Gem snarls, getting to her feet and glaring at Raven. "Too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate innocents, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here, this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" She slams her fist on the table. "I will not rest until each and every changeling belonging to Queen Chrysalis is destroyed! I'll kill her myself if I have to! Then, and only then, will I be satisfied!"

Raven remained neutral in expression, even as her insides roiled with grief and sadness at the state of her beloved sister. “Understood, Captain. I will have the torpedoes programmed for maximum destructive power, and ready at your order. I would respectfully ask, however, for you to consider the following: In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that... and perhaps more, only one of each of us.” Raven stood. “Don’t destroy the one named Gemini.” She turned and walked out of the ready room.

* * *

“Are you alright?” Robin asked, when Raven entered her quarters a few minutes later. 

Raven shook her head. “Nope.” She sat on the bed, and hugged Robin tight. “What has Twilight told you about dark magic?”

“Some things,” Robin replied. “Like how it corrupted Princess Luna and turned her into… was it Nightmare Moon?”

Raven nodded. “And now my dear older sister has fallen prey to its influence.” She sighed. “I watched her condemn an entire group of living creatures to death today, Robbie. A week or two ago, Dagi watched her murder a human and a changeling in cold blood, without remorse. The girl I knew growing up… she’d never do a thing like this.” She looked at a photograph of herself, Gem, and Sunset. “My sister has a very bad habit of shutting out people when she needs help… she’s too proud to admit it. Oh, she’ll rip the universe apart to help someone else, but when it’s her turn? She always tries to do it herself, and every single time it blows up in her face.” She leaned back. “After today… I think we seriously need to talk about relieving her of duty.”

* * *

Months passed. One particular day, the _Endeavour_ was contacted by another crew, specifically themselves, as they were in another universe. This other crew were a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates, so Raven said, though Robin didn’t get a chance to meet herself. According to a tearful Raven’s explanation, Gem committed double genocide in the other universe, was imprisoned for it upon her return to the ship, and subsequently relieved of duty. A month or so later she was brought back on duty, thanks to a spell that kept her corruption at bay, barring extreme emotional circumstances.

Such a circumstance occurred on stardate 83368.2. Robin had been in the transporter room when the explosions went off, and heard the order from Captain Shadow to abandon ship. She dove into her escape pod, frantically pressing the ignition button. The pod zoomed away, and she watched sadly as the ship (in a manner eerily similar to what happened to the Enterprise-D) was set aflame and landed, a burned out wreck, in an alien (to Robin) countryside.

She climbed out of her pod, and checked herself over for injuries. Only a few bruises, cuts, and scratches. She looked around, getting her bearings. It was a cloudy night, and the air… the air was sweet, almost like sugar, and completely unpolluted. “So this is Equestria…” Robin whispered, looking amazed.

Then she heard the sound of hooves, and a purple pony with wings and a horn, and a dark blue mane and tail streaked with pink and purple galloped into view, a purple and green dragon about as tall as Robin running alongside her. And despite seeing her for the first time, Robin already knew who this pony was. “You’re Princess Twilight!” she exclaimed. “Your clone is my immediate superior!”

Twilight nodded. “That’s me! You’re Robin Mostolsky, right?” At Robin’s nod, she smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Ensign. I only wish it was under better circumstances.” She lit her horn, and Robin was suddenly struck with a sensation not unlike sinking into a warm bath, as a magenta glow surrounded her body. “Let’s see… no major external or internal injuries, so you should be okay to walk… come with me please, Commander Shadow has requested your presence.” Robin nodded, and they began to walk toward the shiny castle in the distance.

* * *

That night was the longest night Robin had ever experienced. According to Raven, Gem had snapped again, and was now rampaging throughout her childhood home, searching for someone called Queen Chrysalis. At midnight, a colossal boom shook the town, shattering every window, and setting a mansion on fire. A couple of tense hours later though, and Gem was asleep in a guest room. Down the hall, Raven and Robin slept, human and Equestrian entwined with one another.

* * *

Robin now walked the dirt streets of Ponyville, with Raven’s hand in her own. Since the _Endeavour_ ’s destruction, the surviving crew had elected to remain on Equus until the reassignment had been processed, and for Captain Shadow to be given a clean bill of mental health by her physicians, Dustin and Sunset Shimmer. For Robin, it meant spending more time on her girlfriend’s homeworld, getting to know the many peoples who lived there. 

“You know, this place really is beautiful,” Robin said, as she and Raven headed to Sugarcube Corner for breakfast. “Not to mention colorful. I can see why you like it here.”

Raven nodded, smiling back. “It’ll always be home to me, no matter what. I feel recharged just by being here!” She demonstrates by effortlessly floating a few bits out of her purse and sliding them across the counter to Mrs. Cake, who hoofs over their chosen pastries with a warm smile.

“I’m kind of amazed that pony hooves are so dexterous,” Robin comments. “And they can bend in ways ponies on my world would never be capable of doing!”

“We’re magic, remember?” Raven says, with a teasing grin. “There’s very little we _can’t_ do.”

“Yeah, magic,” agreed Robin. “Even after everything Commander Twilight taught me, and everything I saw during the last year, I wish I could use it like you can.”

Raven taps her chin with her finger. “You know, it _might_ be possible… I’ll have to ask Aunt Twilight and Aunt Emerald when we get home.”

Robin smiled. “Would you really do that for me, Raven?”

Raven nodded. “Of course I would, Robbie,” she said, hugging the Earth girl tight.


End file.
